


without a net

by Spikedluv



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Background Jelena/Terrence, Cameo by Jelena, Community: trope_bingo, Fake Relationship, First Time, M/M, Matchmaker Lionel, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-26 22:57:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7593643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jude’s life gets turned upside down when Lionel orders him to bid on Zero at a Devils’ sponsored charity auction. (Or, Lionel plays matchmaker.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my name is Spikedluv! I'm new to Jude/Zero, but I was immediately inspired to fic. I don't know why, but my first fic in a new fandom is often a crossover (with a familiar fandom) or an AU. o_O
> 
> AU where Jude was not Zero’s agent. Kinda sorta fits both the fake relationship and matchmaker tropes. I’m also using this story to fill the free square on my Trope Bingo on DW card (as Fake Relationship).
> 
> Spoilers for the whole series, though it’s an AU, so everything is kind of turned on its head a bit.
> 
> Written: July 26, 2016
> 
> (This story is complete, but I'll be posting it in four parts over the next four days, so it will be posted in full by Friday.)

Jude was so absorbed in looking at Zero’s photo spread for Sports Nation that he didn’t hear the door open. He jumped and slapped the magazine closed as if he’d been caught doing more than looking when Lionel dropped a hand onto his shoulder.

“That’s exactly who I wanted to talk to you about,” Lionel said as she rounded the large oak desk that used to belong to Oscar.

“Who?” Jude said, his brain still firing randomly from nerves and guilt.

Lionel leveled a look at him as she slid into the chair, reigning behind the desk as if she’d always sat there. “Zero.”

“What about him?” Jude said. There’d been some hiccups when Zero had first joined the Devils, as there usually were when an outsider was brought in to shore up a team, but those had been smoothed over. Mostly. Enough that they could keep it off the court so the team could win games, anyway.

“He’s participating in the charity auction,” Lionel said.

Jude already knew that; he’d been with Lionel when the two of them had made the decision to include Zero in one of the biggest charity events hosted by the Devils organization, so he remained silent and waited to see where she was going with this.

“He’s a wild card.”

She’d said the same thing then, but they’d had no choice but to place Zero’s name on the list. He was too big of a name to pass on, and it would’ve appeared strange for the Devils to overlook their newest acquisition for such an important event.

“It could be a PR nightmare.”

Lionel was still merely restating her previous concerns, and it felt like she was trying to ease Jude into something. He decided to bite the bullet, or they’d be there all day while she danced around her point.

“I agree,” Jude said, “but what do you want me to do about it?”

Lionel smiled, devious and a little bit frightening, and Jude realized too late that he’d walked right into her trap. “I’m so glad you asked,” she said.

“Wait,” Jude said. “That was a rhetorical question.”

Lionel ignored his protest and said, “I want you to buy him.”

“What?” Jude said, certain he had to have misheard. Though, it was Lionel, so probably not.

“Zero,” Lionel clarified. “I want you to bid on him at the auction.”

Jude shook his head. This couldn’t be happening. “No.”

“And Jude.” Lionel went on as if Jude hadn’t spoken. “I need you to win the bid.”

Jude was still shaking his head. “I can’t.”

“I’m not telling you to sleep with him,” Lionel said, and Jude sputtered. “Then again, I’m not telling you not to. I just need you to keep him on a leash for one damned night.”

Jude’s brain went there, and by the time he’d gotten the image of Zero on a leash out of his head (mostly), Lionel was telling him to, “. . . put on your big girl panties and figure it out.”

“My what?”

Lionel shooed him out of the office. “I’ve got to prepare for a meeting.”

Jude was in the corridor, on the other side of the closed door, before he thought to ask, “What meeting?”

~

Jude wasn’t hiding in his office, even if it might look that way to some people. There was a lot of paperwork involved in being the EVP of Business Operations for the Devils organization. When Jude finally pushed his chair back, the top of his desk was the cleanest it had been since the day he’d accepted the position. Which was saying something, because Jude was slightly obsessive about paperwork.

Jude stretched his neck. He’d been sitting too long, bent over the desk. He checked his watch. He’d sent Doris home hours ago, and it was late enough now that the rest of the offices would’ve cleared out and the players vacated the weight room, which meant the gym should be empty. Jude changed into shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt that proclaimed him a ‘Devils Girl’ (Lionel being cute) in his private bath and hung his suit on the back of the door. He made sure he had his keycard and took the elevator down to the lower level.

The gym was dark. Jude used his card to gain access and the lights came on as soon as he swiped the card in front of the reader. He turned the television on to one of the radio stations just to have some background noise, and then chose the treadmill the furthest away from the door.

Once he’d worked up a sweat and got his heart rate up, Jude moved to the weights. For the next twenty minutes, all Jude thought about was counting sets and reps, and feeling the burn in his muscles. He was replacing a set of weights onto the rack when movement caught his eye. Startled, Jude jerked his head around to find Zero standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

To cover his surprise, Jude said, “I thought everyone had already gone home. What are you doing lurking around down here?”

“Not lurking,” Zero said, straightening and spreading his arms. “I was using the lap pool to work out some kinks.”

“I can see that,” Jude said. He kept his eyes on Zero’s face despite the invitation to look, because he’d already seen enough skin to fuel his fantasies for the next month. While he watched, a drop of water broke free of Zero’s hair and rolled down the side of his face just in front of his ear. It reached his jaw and then hesitated before sliding down his neck just the way Jude sometimes imagined his tongue doing.

Realizing that Zero had spoken, Jude jerked his eyes away from Zero’s neck. From the droplet. Meeting Zero’s gaze was almost worse. “I’m sorry, what?” Jude said.

Zero smirked. “I asked what you were doing down here so late.”

“I cleared off my desk this afternoon,” Jude said. “It’s not as sexy as basketball, but leaning over the desk gave me some kinks I needed to work out, too.”

“You should call me next time,” Zero said. “We could work out our kinks together.”

Zero had to know how that sounded, and yet, he didn’t take it back. Maybe that was the point. Flustered, Jude said, “I’m sure I’m out of your league when it comes to lifting weights.”

Zero’s eyes did a slow slide down Jude’s body. “Don’t sell yourself short, boss.”

A little shiver ran down Jude’s spine, like it did every time Zero said ‘boss’ in that tone. But since they were both there, and Zero had just reminded Jude of the task Lionel had set him, Jude had no excuse not to speak to Zero about it. Or set up a time to speak to Zero about it. Later. When Zero had more clothes on.

Jude pushed sweat-dampened hair back and said, “I need to see you.”

Zero glanced down at himself, then looked up at Jude through his eyelashes. “You’re seeing me now.”

Way too much of him for Jude’s comfort. “On Devils business,” Jude said, trying to ignore the way the scrap of material Zero called a swim suit clung to his hips.

Zero frowned and crossed his arms. “What now?”

“It’s about the charity auction,” Jude said.

“Lionel worried I’m going to screw it up?” Zero said.

Jude ignored the question. “Can you come to my office after practice tomorrow?”

“What’s wrong with right now?”

Jude sighed. “Because it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. Tomorrow. After practice.”

Jude turned off the television and tossed the used towel in the bin. He did his best to take no notice of all the flesh on display as he left the gym. The door didn’t close behind him, which meant that Zero was still blocking the doorway. Jude felt an itch between his shoulder blades and took the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.

Jude was winded by the time he reached his floor, but he was more clear-headed than he’d been after hours of paperwork, and from being in the same room with Zero. Jude took a shower and put his suit back on, glad he’d be able to fall right into bed when he got home. There was no one to see him without his armor, so he left the collar open and rolled up the cuffs. Jude stuffed the tie into a jacket pocket and carried the jacket over his arm. He grabbed his briefcase and locked the door behind him.

Jude had already keyed open the front door when he realized that there was someone standing outside. His heart made a leap for his throat before he recognized Zero leaning against the building in jeans, an open leather jacket covering the russet shirt he wore beneath.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Jude said to cover his reaction to Zero’s presence.

Zero smirked. Zero was always fucking smirking. Jude wished he didn’t find it such a turn on. Zero ran his eyes over Jude, and he felt more naked now than he had wearing shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt in the gym.

“What are you doing out here?” Jude said, the words coming out sharp and defensive.

“Waiting for you.”

“Why?”

“I was hoping I could persuade you to get a drink with me. We could talk about the charity auction,” Zero quickly added when Jude shook his head.

“I really am exhausted,” Jude said. His second wind was fading fast, and he was in no shape to trade words with Zero.

“A hint then?”

“I already gave you a hint,” Jude said as he started towards his car.

Zero fell into step with him. “Another hint.”

“What are you, two?”

Zero didn’t say anything else, but he stayed with Jude until they reached his car. “Fine,” Jude said, ignoring Zero’s smug grin. “Lionel wants me to bid on you, but I really haven’t had time to work it out, so can we please continue this tomorrow?”

Zero gave Jude a considering look, but just said, “Sure thing, boss.”

Jude got into the car and started the engine. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you.”

When Jude looked in the rearview mirror, Zero was still standing where he’d left him staring after the car.

~*~

Jude found Lionel in the lounge area above the court the next morning watching the team practice. She glanced up when Jude crossed to her, and then turned her attention back to the court below. “Sometimes a girl . . . .” She eyed Jude. “Or guy. Just needs to watch a bunch of sweaty men run around.”

Jude shoved his hands into the front pockets of his slacks and forced his eyes to stay away from the court. “Is something wrong?”

Lionel waved her hand. “Nothing I can’t handle. Did you want something?” She glanced at Jude before looking back to the court. “Besides the obvious.”

“I’ve set up a meeting with Zero after practice,” Jude said, ignoring her innuendo.

“Have you,” Lionel drawled.

“To talk about the charity auction,” Jude said.

“I’m glad to see you taking the initiative, Jude,” Lionel said, an enigmatic curl to her lips. “Have fun.”

“It’s not fun,” Jude said. “It’s business.”

“Of course,” Lionel said.

Jude finally allowed himself a quick glance down at the court. His eyes immediately found Zero. As if he felt the weight of Jude’s gaze, Zero glanced up. He smirked when he saw Jude. He touched two fingers to his forehead and mouthed, ‘Boss.’

For a moment Jude couldn’t move. All of his blood rushed south, and his limbs felt heavy, as if they’d been encased in concrete. By the time he could breathe freely again, Zero was running drills with the rest of the team.

“I, um, I’ve got to get back to work,” Jude said.

“You do that,” Lionel said, sounding very pleased with herself about something.

Jude didn’t stay to figure it out; he had to get out of there before he embarrassed himself.

~

Jude was on the phone when there was a commotion outside his office. Zero opened the door and stepped in, unrepentant even when he saw that Jude was on the phone. Jude held up a hand to let Doris, who was trying her best to keep Zero out without making enough noise to interrupt Jude’s call, know that it was alright. She nodded apologetically, gave Zero a look that would’ve melted iron, and then left, pulling the door closed behind her.

Jude finished the call, suddenly self-conscious about work he’d done everyday for months with Zero in the room. He disconnected the call and gave Zero a look. “Making friends wherever you go, I see,” Jude said, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.

“Hey.” Zero shrugged. “You called this meeting.” He dropped into a chair across from Jude and stretched as if he was testing out the comfort of his seat. Jude had to look away, and when he looked back, Zero was giving him a considering look.

“What?” Jude said defensively.

“I think we should start with drinks. Keep our first public outing casual,” Zero said.

“What?” Jude said again, this time with more feeling.

“Drinks,” Zero repeated.

“We’re _not_ going out for drinks,” Jude said firmly, with absolutely no quaver in his voice.

“We are if you want this charity auction charade to work,” Zero said, as if he didn’t have a stake in the matter, and therefore didn’t care one way or the other whether the ‘charade’ worked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you give this thing any thought at all?” Zero said with an amused lift of his eyebrows.

“Yes,” Jude said. But every time he’d thought about this meeting, the memory of Zero in that Speedo surfaced and actual planning got derailed. He certainly wasn’t admitting that to anyone, much less Zero.

Zero made a ‘well, tell me’ face.

“I bid on you,” Jude said. “I make sure I win. End of story. This meeting isn’t a strategy meeting, I just wanted to give you a heads up on the way it was going to go down. Happen,” Jude amended at Zero’s amused expression.

“There’s two things wrong with that,” Zero said, “and that’s not even including the fact that you gave me a ‘heads up’ last night. One. How are you going to control the bid?”

“I just keep bidding until I win,” Jude said.

“Can you outbid, say, Glenn Lawson?”

“Glenn Lawson is married. And also 60-years old.”

“I’ve heard that she and her boy toy, excuse me, husband, like the occasional threesome,” Zero said, sounding as if the thought of that didn’t bother him in the slightest. “And sometimes she just likes to watch.”

Jude’s breath caught at the image that brought to mind.

“Me topping her boy – do you think she’d like that?” Zero said, his voice gravelly and low.

Jude cleared his throat. “How would you and I going out for drinks fix that problem?”

“Glenn Lawson is an old romantic,” Zero said. “If she thought my boyfriend was bidding on me, she’d keep her paddle to herself.”

Jude choked at the unbidden image of anyone (Jude) using a paddle on Zero. Zero’s dancing eyes said he knew exactly what he’d done to Jude with that comment.

“And she’ll make sure everyone else does, too.”

“What’s number two?” Jude said.

“You’re trying to keep me from creating a scandal, yes?”

Jude reluctantly nodded.

“What do you think the press is going to do when they find out that the Devils organization bid on me?” Zero said.

“How would the press find out?” Jude said.

“You’re not exactly an unknown in this town,” Zero said. “You like to fly under the radar, but you’re the heir to the Kinkade empire.”

Jude snorted. “I’m not the heir to anything,” he said, the words coming out more bitter than he’d intended.

Zero noticed, but he didn’t mention it.

“So what are you suggesting?” Jude said.

“That you set the stage,” Zero said. “Make the bid look legit. You know, personal, rather than business.”

“It _is_ business,” Jude said.

“And it’s just drinks, Jude,” Zero said. “Unless you don’t think you can keep it just business.”

~

When Jude left the arena for his lunch meeting, Zero was leaning against his car, his arms folded across his chest, ankles crossed, head tilted back as if he was enjoying the sun on his face, but Jude could feel Zero’s eyes on him from behind the sunglasses as he crossed the parking lot.

“What are you doing here?” Jude said, the words coming out sharp and breathless.

Zero smiled as if he was happy to see Jude, then leaned close and said, “Appearances.”

“Appearances,” Jude said doubtfully.

“Derek and Terrence hate each other, but they hate me more,” Zero said. “They get a hint of this . . . .” He indicated the two of them. “. . . not being on the up and up, they’ll be the first ones to call the tabloids.”

“And so you’re here to . . . what?” Jude said. “See me off?”

“I’m here to be seen,” Zero said. “And to confirm our date for tonight.”

Jude almost said, it’s not a date, but then he remembered that they were putting on a show. That Zero was just pretending to be interested in him.

“Okay, fine,” Jude said. “You’ve confirmed.”

“I’ll pick you up here at six,” Zero said.

“You don’t need to pick me up,” Jude said.

Zero ignored the interruption and continued. “What you’re wearing will be fine.” He looked at Jude critically. “Maybe lose the tie. I liked the casual look last night.”

Jude blushed at the reminder of their run ins the night before, and again when he noticed that a group of players had been close enough to overhear that last bit and were giving them speculative looks.

Zero pushed his sunglasses down so Jude could see his eyes, and he grinned as if he’d set it all up. “See you later.” Zero pushed off Jude’s car and sauntered over to his Porsche without looking back. Jude didn’t move until someone’s horn blaring broke through the fog he’d found himself in.

~*~

Jude was waiting outside the arena when Zero pulled up in his Porsche. Zero smirked when he saw Jude standing there in his suit, tie still knotted firmly at his throat.

“Do you want me to open the door for you?” Zero said when Jude didn’t move right away.

That got him moving. “I don’t need you to open the door for me,” Jude said as he opened the passenger side door. “And I didn’t need you to pick me up.” Jude bit back a moan as he slid into the seat.

“I get it,” Zero said. “You’re not the little woman.” He raised an eyebrow at Jude. “You comfy?”

“Fuck you,” Jude said. “How do you ever bring yourself to get out of these seats?”

Laughing, Zero pulled away from the curb.

Jude was nervous about the fake date, but the seats were so damned comfortable that he couldn’t help relaxing into them. Jude watched the road signs, trying to figure out where Zero was taking them. When he realized that he was headed for the 101, Jude said, “Where are we going?”

“A nice little place up the coast,” Zero said. “Quiet, private.”

“I thought you said we needed to be seen.”

“We will be,” Zero said confidently.

“What did you do?”

“Someone might have tipped off the paps that we’d be there,” Zero said.

“Someone,” Jude repeated. “So we get seen without it appearing that we were _trying_ to be seen.” It was clever. “You’re good at this.”

Zero’s smile looked forced this time. “I’ve had lots of practice.”

~

Lionel was waiting for Jude the next morning when he got to his office. “What are you doing in this early?” Jude said when he saw her sitting behind his desk with her feet up.

“Just catching up on the news,” Lionel said, looking at Jude over the top of the paper. “And making sure you didn’t try to sneak past me.”

Jude dropped into a chair opposite Lionel, the thought of attempting to evict her not even crossing his mind. “Why would I sneak past you?”

“So I couldn’t ask you how last night went.”

“How did you know about last night? Jude said, then shook his head. “Never mind. Last night was fine,” he said, making his voice as bland as he could.

“Just fine?” Lionel said, letting the newspaper – folded open to a photograph of Jude and Zero, heads bent together, smiling – drop on the desk in front of Jude.

“It wasn’t real,” Jude said, cursing the paparazzi for capturing them during one moment that had felt very real.

“If you say so,” Lionel said. She lowered her feet and rose from the chair. “Looks like they’re buying it, at least.”

Jude was still sitting in that same spot, staring at the photograph, when Doris came in.

“Good morning, Mr. Kinkade,” Doris said. “Here’s your coffee.”

Jude started. “Good morning, Doris.”

He’d told her when they first started working together that she didn’t have to bring him coffee every morning. She’d said, “I don’t do it because I have to.”

She set the coffee on the desk where he could reach it, as if it wasn’t strange to see him sitting on this side of the desk. If she saw the photo of Jude and Zero she didn’t betray her thoughts on the matter with word or gesture. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No,” Jude said. He had no idea what he’d ask for. “Thank you, Doris, I appreciate the coffee.”

When Doris had left him alone, softly pulling the door closed behind her, Jude reached for the paper. The small blurb accompanying the photo mentioned their names and that of the ‘cozy little restaurant’, along with a reminder that Jude worked for the Devils organization and had been a driving force behind getting Zero to LA. They didn’t _say_ that Jude had an ulterior motive for signing Zero to the Devils, but the implication was there.

Jude sighed.

That afternoon a sound bite of Lionel stating for the record that she wouldn’t shell out millions of dollars just so someone could get laid was played on repeat on every sports channel. Jude was sitting in the chair behind his desk, flipping between channels when his office door opened. He didn’t look away from the television screen; he didn’t have to.

“Was this what you had in mind?” Jude said.

“You know what they say,” Zero said airily. “Any publicity is good publicity.”

“I wasn’t looking for publicity,” Jude said.

Zero poked the newspaper. “Nice photo. At least they got my good side.”

Jude snorted. “You don’t have a bad side.”

Zero sat in the same chair Jude had spent most of the morning in, and watched the screen.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping you company,” Zero said.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.”

~

Jude watched the game from beside Lionel in the owner’s courtside seats. He’d managed to elude the press on the way in, but they’d be swarming the court after the game. The only way to miss them completely would be to sneak out the loading dock. But they’d be there tomorrow, and the next day.

The reporters weren’t forefront on his mind, though, because he was supposed to be meeting Zero after the game. Even though he knew it was fake, even though he ran the risk of Zero discovering that Jude’s feelings for him were real, it didn’t stop him from getting twisted up about it.

Jude watched the game, cheered when they made a good shot or stole the ball, swore when they missed a lay-up or gave up the ball, and argued when a ref made a bad call, but his mind wasn’t really on the game. His eyes rarely left Zero, and a few times Zero glanced over at the sideline as if he knew that Jude was watching him.

“This is a mistake,” Jude said.

Lionel glanced at him, then back at the court. “What is?”

“Nothing,” Jude said.

The buzzer went off and Jude stood and hugged Lionel, shook hands with everyone Lionel had invited to join them courtside, but he did it all on autopilot. Jude followed Lionel onto the court. He normally stayed back because reporters rarely cared what the EVP thought about the game, but tonight would be different.

Lionel, Pete, and the players were all giving interviews, and at first, Jude felt like he was alone in the midst of a swirl of activity, standing in the eye of the storm. And then Zero turned his head and their eyes met. Without breaking eye contact, Zero said something to the reporter, and then left the poor woman staring after him as he practically strutted over to Jude.

Jude rolled his eyes at the display, but he couldn’t keep his lips from curling up a little bit at the corners. “Really?” he said.

Zero grinned as if they were sharing a secret. “Good game,” he said casually.

“Yes,” Jude said dryly, “you were amazing. As usual.”

Zero gave Jude a look, as if he was trying to figure him out, and then it was gone, replaced by what Jude had come to recognize as Zero’s public smile. “Ready?” he said.

Before Jude knew it, reporters began to descend on them. Zero put a hand on Jude’s back, right between his shoulder blades, and raised the other as if he could ward off the horde. “Hey, guys,” Zero said with a practiced smile. “Don’t scare him off before we even have our second date.”

“Are you two a couple now?” someone in the back shouted.

“Like Zero said, we’ve only been on one date,” Jude said.

“Would you answer some questions about your relationship?” George Daniels from Sports Network said, shoving a microphone into Jude’s face.

Jude suddenly felt more comfortable in front of the microphones and cameras, questions being yelled at him. He fell back on years of experience from when he was still with the agency, pretending to be a junior agent spinning a client’s latest faux pas. As if he was talking about a stranger, Jude answered the question.

“If you’re still wondering whether I somehow managed to convince Lionel and the entire board of the Devils organization to bring Zero to LA just so we could date, then the answer’s still ‘no’,” Jude said, and drew a few titters.

Someone said, “Do you think you can tame the bad boy, Mr. Kinkade?”

Jude wouldn’t have noticed Zero’s reaction to that question if he hadn’t been standing right next to him. Jude was going to find out who’d voiced the question and come up with a reason to have him banned from the arena for the rest of the season. Instead of letting that show on his face, Jude said, “I just want the opportunity to get to know Zero. Preferably without cameras following us everywhere.”

There was some uncomfortable laughter as they each tried to pretend that Jude was talking about the _other_ reporters.

“Thank you for coming,” Jude told the reporters with a finality he’d learned early on when dealing with them. He put his hand on Zero’s back, the jersey damp and warm beneath his touch, and steered him away from them.

“That could’ve gone worse,” Jude said. He glanced over and caught Zero looking at him strangely. “What?”

Before Zero could answer, Lionel approached them. “You handled that well. It might hold them off for a little while. Still, you two might want to get out of here while you can.”

~*~

They stopped by the locker room while the reporters were still back on the court, each trying to get a sound bite that would give them the edge over their competitors. Zero just needed to throw his street clothes into a bag, and so, despite the risk of being waylaid by a stray reporter, Jude waited for him in the corridor. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the wall beside the doorway, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.

Jude heard voices before he could see who they belonged to, but once they got close enough for him to recognize Derek and Terrence, he relaxed back into his slouch. The two men cut off talking when they rounded the corner and saw him standing there. Jude didn’t think anything of it until he turned his head to offer a greeting and saw the wary looks they were both giving him.

Jude nodded and said,” Derek, Terrence.”

“Hey, Jude,” Terrence said.

“Jude.”

“Great game,” Jude said.

“I wasn’t sure you saw anybody but your boy Zero out there,” Derek said, ignoring the look Terrence shot him.

“I can multi-task,” Jude said. “For instance, I saw that steal, which was amazing by the way . . . .”

Derek gave Jude a smug smile.

“. . . just like I saw you throw the ball away instead of passing it to Zero when he was open.”

Derek’s smile turned into a frown. Jude turned towards the two men and leaned his shoulder against the wall, keeping both hands in his pockets so neither one of them saw his clenched fists.

“I’m betting a lot of other people saw it, too,” Jude said. “You all agreed to keep the rivalry off the court.”

“That was before Zero started sleeping with the boss,” Derek said.

Terrence rolled his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe the hole Derek was digging for himself, and by extension, for Terrence.

“Please,” Zero said, his voice so close to Jude’s ear that he could feel the heat of his breath. Jude let his gaze briefly move to Zero, who was leaning against the doorframe right next to him.

“Do you see how tightly he’s wound?” Zero continued. “If we were sleeping together, he’d be a hell of a lot more relaxed.”

Jude rolled his eyes in an effort to hide his reaction to having those words trip so easily off Zero’s tongue.

“Trust me,” Zero said, his voice going dangerously soft, “you’ll know when I start sleeping with the boss.”

Zero turned the full weight of his attention on Jude, and even knowing that this whole thing was a charade, Jude couldn’t help but melt again under the heat of his regard. “You ready to head out?” Zero said.

“Yeah,” Jude said.

Jude kept his hands in his pockets. Zero carried a garment bag over one shoulder, leaving his other hand free. He didn’t reach out to touch Jude, just walked close enough that their shoulders brushed every other step.

“Those two are going to be a problem,” Jude said when they were far enough away for him to speak without being overheard.

“Right now they seem to be buying it,” Zero said, sliding his hand over Jude’s shoulder and down his back to add credence to their ‘relationship’.

“Are they still watching?” Jude said.

Zero’s face did something, and then he said, “I don’t know.”

Jude frowned as Zero’s hand fell away. “Besides,” he said, shaking off whatever he was feeling, “I wasn’t talking about the whole charity auction thing, I was talking about you. They’re going to be a problem for you.”

“ _Going_ to be?” Zero said incredulously.

“More of a problem,” Jude amended.

They walked a few more steps in silence, then Jude said, “‘You’ll know when I start sleeping with the boss’?”

“Please,” Zero said smugly. “You’d look so fucked out . . . “ He shrugged. “Or I would. No one would doubt that we’d started sleeping together.”

Heat rose in Jude’s cheeks and his mouth went dry. He didn’t try to speak until they got outside and Zero insisted on driving.

“Absolutely not,” Jude said, his voice only cracking a little bit.

Zero gave him a raised eyebrow.

“Your Porsche is the definition of conspicuous.”

“Your car is a crap box,” Zero protested.

“It’s an _anonymous_ crap box,” Jude said.

~

They got out of the employee parking lot without being spotted, but reporters and paps were already camped outside Zero’s condo.

“You can’t go in there,” Jude said.

Zero raised an eyebrow. “I’m the PR nightmare, remember? I’ve dealt with worse.”

Jude ignored the bitterness he heard in Zero’s voice. “Is there a back way in?”

“Nah, just drop me off here.”

“I’m not doing that,” Jude said. He kept driving, and not one reporter spared them a second glance. Jude stared straight ahead out the windshield and gripped the steering wheel as if his life depended on it as he tried to come up with a solution that wouldn’t cost him his sanity.

“You can just drop me off at a hotel,” Zero said.

Jude sighed. “Don’t read anything into this.”

“Into what?”

“You can spend the night at my place.”

Zero was silent, and Jude was afraid to look at him to see whether it was because he was surprised by the offer, or because he was trying to figure out a polite way to decline.

“You don’t have to . . . .”

“No!” Zero said. “I mean, whatever, it’s fine.” He paused. “You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded,” Jude said.

They fell silent again, but this time it was a comfortable one.

Eventually Zero spoke. “You’re gonna have the same problem with paps at your place.”

“I’m not the one they care about,” Jude said. “Besides, they don’t know where I live.”

Zero gave him a look Jude couldn’t decipher, but merely said, “They will.”

Despite his comment, Jude was relieved when he pulled up outside his apartment and the coast was clear. He self-consciously let Zero into his apartment, flipping on the light and dropping his keys into the bowl on the mantle. Jude busied himself with removing his suit jacket and folding it over the back of the chair while Zero looked around.

“This is a nice place,” Zero said, and Jude felt a flush of pleasure.

“Thanks.” He shrugged. “I like it.”

“Is it alright if I use your shower?” Zero said.

“Yes, of course!” Jude said, remembering that they’d left the arena before Zero could shower in the locker room. He walked through the living room and turned on the light in the bathroom. “Towels are in the closet. Feel free to use whatever you need. If you need anything else, just give me a holler.”

“Thanks,” Zero said as he stepped past Jude into the bathroom. Just before he closed the door, Zero looked over his shoulder and said, “Not gonna offer to wash my back?”

“That’s not part of the service,” Jude said lightly. As soon as the door closed behind Zero, Jude let out a sharp breath. “Jesus,” he swore softly. The whole ‘pretending to date’ thing had been bad enough before he’d brought Zero into his apartment, but now the situation had been raised to a new level of hell.

Jude hung up his suit jacket in the closet and unknotted the tie. He opened his collar and rolled up the shirt sleeves as he walked back out to the kitchen. After peering into the fridge, Jude heated up a slice of pizza on a paper towel in the microwave and ate it standing up, leaning against the sink. He left the box out in case Zero wanted some later, and went to turn on the television to see how bad the coverage of him and Zero was. His cell rang before he got there.

A glance at the screen confirmed that it was Lionel. “What’s up?” Jude said.

“Did you make it out alright?” Lionel said.

“Yes,” Jude said. An image of Zero in his shower popped into Jude’s mind, but he cut it off, refusing to let his mind go to places it shouldn’t.

Lionel went on without commenting on Jude’s lapse, so maybe she had missed it. “Have you seen tonight’s coverage?”

“I was just turning the tv on now.”

When the picture came on, the channel was already set to CSN and Sports Now! was airing.

“Any channel in particular?” Jude said.

“Pick one,” Lionel said. “They’re all carrying it.”

Jude left the channel where it was and sat on the chair, automatically reaching behind him to adjust the pillow. They were running the scores and Jude listened with half an ear as he told Lionel,” We need to meet tomorrow.”

“About what?” Lionel said distractedly, which made Jude wonder if she’d returned to her office.

“Derek and Terrence,” Jude said.

“You mean that little stunt Derek pulled during the game?” Lionel said. “I wondered if you noticed that.”

“I’m sure everyone noticed,” Jude said dryly. “I thought we’d ironed this all out.”

“Maybe it wasn’t intentional,” Lionel said, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“I might even have believed that if I hadn’t had a run in with them before we left tonight,” Jude said.

“What happened?” Lionel said sharply.

“They just made it clear that they’re not happy about Zero ‘sleeping with the boss’, their words.”

“I’ll talk to Pete,” Lionel said.

Just then a photo of Jude and Zero after the game flashed on the monitor behind the sports anchor. Jude leaned forward and rested one elbow on his knee. “It’s on,” he told Lionel.

_The Devils won a tight game tonight against a division rival, but the big story is Zero’s newest conquest, Jude Kinkade, son of Oscar Kinkade, former owner of the Devils where Jude Kinkade is currently the Executive Vice President of Business Operations . . ._

Jude tuned out the rest of the report, his attention focused on the photo in which Zero stood much closer to Jude than he’d realized at the time. The film ran, and Jude watched as he and Zero were bombarded with questions. He had to agree that he, they, had handled the situation pretty well.

Behind Jude, Zero said, “You’re good at that.

Jude, who’d been concentrating on the screen and hadn’t heard Zero’s approach, nearly jumped out of his skin. “At what?” he said, casually glancing over his shoulder and trying to pretend that Zero hadn’t just snuck up on him.

Lionel said, “Who’s that?”

Zero indicated the television. “At handling the press.”

“I’ve had lots of practice,” Jude told Zero, then replied to Lionel. “Zero’s here. Reporters were already staking out his place.”

“Were they,” Lionel said.

“Yes,” Jude said.

“Are you sure you didn’t plan this?”

“What?”

“You sly dog,” Lionel said.

“No, I-I’m not . . . .” Jude took the phone away from his ear when he realized he was talking to dead air. Lionel always did like to get the last word.

Zero raised his eyebrows at the phone.

“Lionel,” Jude said. “She wanted to know if I’d seen the coverage.” Jude turned his head to look at Zero as he gestured towards the screen, where Sports Now! had gone to commercial, and got his first full look of Zero standing there in a white undershirt and plaid boxers. Jude nearly swallowed his tongue.

“Um, I, uh . . . .” Jude rose and ran a hand through his hair. “I should take a shower, too.”

Zero smirked at Jude as if he knew exactly what Jude was going to do in the shower besides wash. Jude frowned to cover just how flustered that made him.

“There’s leftover pizza on the counter if you want to heat it up,” Jude said as he passed Zero on his way to the bedroom. “Help yourself to anything else you want.”

“Thanks,” Zero said. “I will.”

Jude made the mistake of looking back. Zero was looking at Jude, and the expression on his face made Jude’s heart quicken, but then it was gone and Zero was turning towards the kitchen. Jude hurried to get undressed while Zero was in the other room, leaving just his boxers on and grabbing a pair of lounge pants before heading for the bathroom.

The bathroom was still filled with steam from Zero’s shower, and the open garment bag hung on the back of the door. Jude looked at the suit and was reminded of how Zero had looked wearing it before the game earlier that evening. He turned away and reached for the tub controls. The water was still warm from Zero’s shower, and Jude quickly shucked his boxers and stepped under the spray.

He’d been low-level aroused since Zero had touched him after the game; the close confines of the car, and now Zero making himself comfortable inside his apartment only making it worse. His cock swelled even more now as the image of Zero dressed only in his underclothes filled his mind. Despite having seen Zero in a pair of Speedos the night before, this moment felt more . . . intimate.

Jude groaned as his cock filled even more, and he reached out to turn the water colder.

~*~

Zero was sitting on the chair eating a bowl of cereal when Jude came out of the bathroom. Zero turned away from the television, which was showing a re-run of ‘Columbo’ on TVLand, and glanced over at Jude. His gaze ran from the top of his head – hair messy from the toweling he’d just given it, shoulders damp from the steam in the bathroom, chest bare because he’d forgotten to grab a t-shirt – and finally stopped at his bare feet before rising again to meet his eyes.

Zero’s feet were on the coffee table, and when he broke eye contact, Jude was reminded by the sight of bare knees that Zero was just wearing his boxers and an undershirt. “Did you want something else to wear? Sweats or something?”

Zero gave Jude an amused look. “Most people try to get me _out_ of my clothes.”

Jude had to look away from Zero’s face, and his eyes landed on the bowl in his hand where little shapes of marshmallow floated in the colored milk. “Oh,” Jude said, surprised that Zero had discovered one of his secret vices. “That’s . . . .”

Jude stopped and laughed at himself.

Zero raised and eyebrow. “What?”

“I was just going to lie and tell you that I kept those on hand for my niece, but I don’t even have a niece.”

Zero grinned. “I found your dirty little secret?” he joked, and Jude felt the ground fall out from under him. “Don’t be ashamed,” Zero went on, unaware of Jude’s reaction. “Lucky Charms are awesome.”

Zero spooned up the last of the marshmallows and drained the milk from the bowl. Jude couldn’t look away from his throat as he swallowed. He finally managed to tear his gaze away when Zero stood and went into the kitchen to rinse out the bowl.

Jude went into the bedroom and pulled on an old, ratty t-shirt he wore to bed, and then combed his hair. He returned to the living room with an armful of bedding.

“You can take the bed,” Jude told Zero, who was standing in the kitchen doorway watching him. For a moment Jude thought that Zero looked disappointed when he noticed that Jude had put on a shirt, but then the expression was gone and Jude wasn’t sure if it had ever been there.

Zero smirked. “Trying to get me into your bed?”

Jude didn’t even blush because, while the words were flirtatious, the tone was not. As if Zero spoke them automatically, defaulting to ‘flirting’ even when he didn’t mean it. Especially when he didn’t mean it, Jude thought. He wasn’t sure whether he should feel bad that Zero felt like he needed to distance himself from Jude, or glad that he’d figured out something about Zero that went below the surface he showed everyone.

“You’re the guest,” Jude said, continuing towards the couch.

Zero intercepted him and reached out to take the pile. “I’ll take the couch.”

When Jude opened his mouth to protest, Zero squeezed the hand lying on top of the pillow. “I’m going to be awake for a while yet. I need to unwind after a game.”

Jude went hot, unable to stop himself from imagining how Zero usually ‘unwound’.

“Will it bother you if I keep the tv on low?” Zero asked, as if his taking the couch was a done deal.

“No,” Jude said, so maybe it was.

No one spoke for a moment, then Jude said. “I should help you . . . .” He tipped his chin towards the couch.

“I’ve got it,” Zero said.

“Okay.” It took Jude a moment more to release the bedding, drawing his hand out from under Zero’s and stepping back. Jude went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, and when he came out Zero had already spread the bedding out over the couch. He’d turned off the kitchen light, and when Jude flipped the bathroom switch, the only light in the apartment was from the tv and the lamp beside the bed.

Zero, his face lit up by the flickering light of the tv, turned his head to look at Jude. “Sleep well.”

Jude’s stomach clenched. He managed a smile. “You, too.”

~

“Jesus,” Jude muttered when he stumbled out of the bedroom in search of caffeine. It was less because Zero was already awake and doing push ups in the middle of his living room floor than that he was doing them shirtless.

Jude poured two cups of coffee and fixed his own. He drank it staring out the window over the kitchen sink because anything else meant seeing the muscles bunch in Zero’s back as he did an exercise that made Jude’s mind wonder what it would be like to have Zero doing that above him. Jude jumped when Zero reached around him for the other coffee cup. “You’re up early,” Jude said.

“I don’t need much sleep,” Zero said, but it sounded like something he’d said a million times rather than the truth.

Jude turned his head and studied Zero’s profile.

Zero smirked, because of course he knew Jude was looking at him. “Like what you see?”

“Yes,” Jude said honestly. Jude caught the look of surprise before Zero wiped it off his face, but he just said, “I’m gonna go get dressed.” And kill myself, he thought.

Jude was buttoning up his shirt when Zero came into the bedroom. He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe and watched Jude’s fingers. Jude had to concentrate not to fumble with the buttons.

“Did you need something?” Jude said, proud that his tongue didn’t stumble over the words.

“Mind if I take you up on that offer of something to wear?” Zero said. “All I’ve got is the suit. And my uniform.”

“Too ‘walk of shame’ for you?” Jude said, trying for light, missing by a mile.

“No,” Zero said. “I just don’t like ‘em.” His eyes ran over Jude. “On me.”

Jude’s tongue suddenly felt too large for his mouth. He pointed to a set of drawers. “T-shirts and sweatpants. Take your pick.”

Zero waited until Jude had slipped the tie around his neck and had started knotting it before he moved further into the bedroom. Jude concentrated on the feel of the silk (a gift from Lionel) under his fingers and tried not to thing about Zero going through his clothes for something to wear. Jude took the suit jacket off the hanger, not looking to see what items Zero had laid out on the bed.

Jude looked up from straightening his cuffs to see Zero pulling off the t-shirt he’d put back on for no other reason Jude could discern but to take it off again in front of him. Zero was turned so that Jude got a good look at the muscles flexing in his back, as well as his six pack.

Jude smothered a moan, and turned to escape. He ended up in the kitchen where he filled a travel mug with coffee. He had a feeling he was going to need it. Jude entered the living room just as Zero came out of the bathroom, the garment bag once more over his shoulder, and a duffel bag in his other hand.

It was just a pair of black track pants and a turquoise Henley, but Jude’s breath caught at the sight of Zero wearing his clothes.

“You ready to go?” Zero said.

Jude swallowed hard. It took him two attempts to say, “Yes.”

~

Jude stopped his ‘crap box’ next to Zero’s Porsche.

“Thanks,” Zero said. “I didn’t need door-to-door service.”

Jude shrugged.

“I’ve got to go inside anyway, turn in my uniform.”

Jude turned the key and shut off the ignition. Zero looked at him, and then at their proximity to his car.

“What, afraid I’m gonna make your car look bad?”

Zero looked amused. “People are gonna talk.”

“They’re already talking,” Jude said. Then he gave Zero a look. “Wasn’t that the point?”

Zero looked at Jude without answering, then got out of the car. Jude waited while Zero got his bags out of the backseat and stowed the garment bag in his Porsche. Jude didn’t have anything to carry because it was the second night in a row he’d left the arena without his briefcase.

They walked towards the arena together. The only other person arriving at the same time was Pete. Jude slowed his steps so that Pete caught up to them. “Morning,” Jude said.

“Morning,” Pete said warily.

“Good game,” Jude said. “I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you last night.”

“Thanks,” Pete said.

“Did Lionel talk to you?” Jude said.

“About Derek?” Pete said, sounding as if this was the conversation he hadn’t wanted to have.

“No,” Jude said. “Well, yes, but no. I meant about why Zero wasn’t in the locker room after the game.”

“She told me,” Pete said. “I hope it’s not going to be a habit.”

“I’m sure the press will all be talking about something else soon,” Jude said.

Jude was one step ahead of the others, so he swiped his card and held the door for them. Zero let Pete go ahead of him, and then he held Jude back so distance grew between them.

“You don’t need to stick up for me, or write notes to the teacher,” Zero said.

“I’m sorry,” Jude said. “Did you think that was me, Jude, sticking up for my fake boyfriend Zero? Because it wasn’t. That was Mr. Kinkade, EVP, speaking to Coach Davenport about one of the Devils’ star players.”

“Huh,” Zero said.

“What?” Jude said irritably.

“It’s hot when you talk like that.”

Just then Jude’s cell phone rang and just kept from sighing in relief as he drew it out of his pocket. Zero smirked anyway.

“Lionel, hi,” Jude said after checking the screen and accepting the call.

“I need to see you immediately,” Lionel said.

“How did you even know I was here?” Jude said.

“You’re always in early,” Lionel said, “so it was a good guess. And I figured, if you’d slept in, I’d be catching you after round two.”

“I’ll be right up,” Jude interrupted, and then disconnected the call to Lionel’s delighted laughter. He looked at Zero’s feet as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. “I, um, I’ve got to go see Lionel.”

“I got that,” Zero said.

“Okay, so I’ll see you later, then.”

“Later.”


	2. Part Two

Lionel wanted to tell Jude about her conversation with Pete, but she wasn’t above first grilling him about Zero staying at his apartment.

“There’s nothing to tell because nothing happened,” Jude insisted. “Tell me what Pete said.”

“Pete says he didn’t notice while everything was going on during the game, but he replayed it and agreed that it was pretty clear that it had been intentional.”

“And?” Jude said.

“He’s going to talk to Derek,” Lionel said.

“Talk to him,” Jude repeated. “What good is that going to do?”

“See, that’s what I said,” Lionel agreed.

Which is how Jude ended up downstairs later that afternoon while the team was reviewing the game tape. Jude didn’t know how she managed it, but Lionel timed their entrance perfectly. She pushed open the swinging doors so that they made enough noise to have every head in the room turning to look back at her.

“Oh,” Lionel said, “please, don’t let me interrupt.”

Pete, who had paused the recording, waited until he had everyone’s attention to start it playing again. Everyone stared at the screen, watching the play develop, and then watching Derek throw the ball away instead of passing it to an open Zero. At the end of the play, Pete paused the recording again.

“What just happened here?” he said, speaking to no one in particular.

Most of the players shifted in their seats, but Derek remained still, shoulders back. When a few seconds went by and no one answered, Lionel raised her hand and bounced on her feet. “Me!” she said like an overeager teenager. “I know! Pick me!”

Pete gave Lionel a very put-upon look. “Lionel,” he said, resigned.

Lionel immediately lost all resemblance to a teenaged girl. “It looks to me,” she said as she walked towards the front of the room, her heels clicking loudly on the floor, “like someone screwed up.”

Lionel let the silence grow, and Jude watched everyone’s reactions from the back of the room.

“This is normally something we’d work out privately between the players involved, but I’m bringing this before the whole team because it’s actions like this one that affect the Devils as a whole,” Lionel said.

“Do you all know why you’re here?” she went on. “You’re here to play basketball, but more importantly, you’re here to win a god damned championship. To do that, you all need to play like a cohesive team.”

Lionel stood next to Pete and stared at each member of said team. “I don’t care if you don’t like each other. You’re all big boys, you deal with it. But don’t you dare bring it onto the court.”

“Or what?” someone said, and Jude was surprised that it was Zero. But then he realized he shouldn’t be.

“I’m glad you asked,” Lionel said. “A $10,000 fine.”

There were a couple of murmurs from the players. It was double the usual fine, but it was still just a fine. And most of them weren’t involved in the rivalry, and therefore unlikely to be fined in any case.

“And that $10,000 will be given as a bonus to the slighted player,” Lionel went on.

“What the hell?” Derek said.

Lionel ignored him. “But that’s only if we win. If we lose the game, you’ll be fined your entire paycheck for the game. $10,000 will still go to the slighted player, the rest goes back into the team coffer.”

“That’s bullshit,” Terrence said.

“It won’t be a problem if you don’t make it one,” Lionel said sweetly.

“Lionel’s right about that,” Pete said, making it sound like she was right about little else. “You all start playing like a team, and this new fine never goes into effect.”

“Can they even do that?” someone said.

Jude’s gaze played over the assembled players until he found him – Malick, an up-and-coming player. Jude would have to keep an eye on him.

“I’ve had someone look over your contracts – all of them,” Lionel said.

Zero glanced at Jude, who gave him a noncommittal look in return.

“And yes, we can. Now,” Lionel said in sugary sweet tone. “Go out there and win me a god damned title!”

Jude opened the door for Lionel and followed her out. As they made their way out of the locker room, she said, “That felt good. Really good. I need a cigarette now.”

Jude chuckled like he was supposed to. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“So do I.”

~

Jelena was waiting for Jude in his office when he got there. Jude didn’t let his surprise at seeing her show. He closed the office door and crossed the room to his desk, glanced at it to see if he could tell if she’d tried to tamper with it. “How did you get in here?”

“I think the better question would be, what am I doing here,” Jelena said.

“Maybe,” Jude said, planting his hands on his hips, “but why don’t you answer mine first?”

Jelena studied him, then she said, “Let’s just say that Doris owed me a favor.”

“Owed?” Jude said. “Is it paid now?”

“Of course,” Jelena said breezily.

“Okay,” Jude said. “So, what are you doing here?”

“I’m so glad you asked,” Jelena said. “I just wanted to give you some unsolicited advice.”

“Always the best kind,” Jude said.

Jelena’s eyes flashed at the sarcasm in Jude’s voice. “You can’t trust him,” she said.

“Who?”

“Zero,” Jelena said, practically spitting the name. “He’s a manipulator; he uses people.”

“I know,” Jude said, bringing her up short.

“Then why are you . . . ?”

Jude remained silent, and Jelena studied him. Finally she said, “You’re playing him.” She smiled, and it wasn’t a friendly one. “Well. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Thanks,” Jude said dryly.

“No, seriously, I’m impressed.”

“Then it’s all been worth it,” Jude said. “Was there anything else?”

Jelena looked put out at being dismissed “No, that was it.”

“Then thank you for stopping by. I’ll show you out.”

Jude walked Jelena into the outer office, stopping beside Doris’ desk and watching to make sure she actually left. As soon as the door closed behind her, Jude said, “Jelena said the favor you owe her’s been paid in full. Do you believe her?”

Doris, who’d kept her head down, looked up now. “Would you?” she said, then added, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Jude said. “Tell me if she’s ever in my office again when I’m not there.”

Doris nodded.

“And get someone up here to sweep for bugs, please.”

Doris’ eyes went wide. “You think . . . ?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. Would you?”

Doris reached for the phone. “I’ll call someone immediately, Mr. Kinkade.”

“Thank you, Doris.”

Jude went back into his office to contemplate what Jelena’s visit really meant.

~

When Jude heard the door open he raised his hand without looking away from the computer screen, and said, “No, no, no more interruptions!”

“You said you wanted to talk later,” Zero said.

Jude’s head shot up. “Oh!” He waved Zero in. “Close the door behind you.”

Zero raised an eyebrow, but he stepped further into the office and closed the door. “You’re wound up,” he said.

“I spent the morning reviewing every single contract to make sure Lionel could pull that stunt downstairs,” Jude said. “And when I got back to my office, Jelena was here waiting for me. Literally, here.” Jude pointed to the chair in which she’d made herself comfortable. “Don’t worry,” he said when Zero’s eyes widened, “I’ve had the place swept for bugs.”

“Bugs?” Zero said. He looked at Jude’s desk. “How much coffee have you had?”

“I’m not wired,” Jude said, then paused. “I might be a little bit wired.”

Zero crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

“You never looked before,” Jude said, then he waved his hands. “That’s not the point. Jelena is the point.”

“Okay,” Zero said. He sat in the chair Jelena hadn’t been sitting in. “What did she want?”

“Ostensibly, to warn me about you,” Jude said.

“And are you suitably warned?”

“She couldn’t have told me anything I didn’t already know.”

For a moment Zero looked surprised – open and vulnerable – and then it was gone. “I slept with her,” he said.

“I know,” Jude said. At Zero’s look of surprise, he said, “Wasn’t that the point? For everyone to know?”

Zero made a shrugging gesture that acquiesced to the point. “What did you tell her?”

“I didn’t tell her anything,” Jude said. “Though I may have . . . implied that while you’re playing me, I’m playing you.”

“Clever,” Zero said. “She bought it?”

“She came to the conclusion on her own, so of course it can’t be wrong,” Jude said.

Zero laughed. “I knew you were good, I just didn’t know how good.”

Jude took that as the compliment Zero meant it to be.

Zero looked contemplative. “You think I’m playing you?”

“I know you’re playing me,” Jude said.

Zero looked . . . surprised?

“What? You thought I believed that you agreed to the charity auction dating charade out of the goodness of your heart? Have you forgotten who did the legwork of getting you to LA? I know exactly what you’re like.”

Zero gave an impressed tilt of his head.

“I just haven’t figured out what you’re after,” Jude admitted.

Zero studied Jude. “Have you considered that I already have what I want?”

Jude frowned. “What’s that?”

“When you figure it out, you let me know.”

~*~

Jude didn’t know how him suggesting that they not talk about the charity auction at the arena translated to Zero coming over to his apartment that night. He also didn’t know why he cared what the place looked like, since Zero had already seen it.

At the knock, Jude gave the place one last look before opening the door. “Hey,” Jude said when he saw Zero standing on his doorstep, hating that he sounded as if he’d run for the door. “Come in.”

“Hey,” Zero said, lifting his hands to show Jude the bags he carried. “I brought food.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jude said.

“I’ve seen your cupboards,” Zero said.

Jude didn’t bother explaining that his protest had been more about this being a strategy session rather than a date, and food just blurred the lines. He closed the door. “I’ll get plates. You can . . . .” He gestured towards the table.

“Do you ever use this table?” Zero said.

“Not much,” Jude admitted. Most of his meals were eaten out, and those that weren’t were eaten in front of the television so he could keep up on the standings.

When Jude returned with plates and forks, Zero had removed his jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair. He was sitting on the couch and had moved the magazines out of the way to make room for the food he was unpacking onto the coffee table. Jude looked from the table pushed against the wall, to the more intimate arrangement at the coffee table. His steps faltered when Zero looked up from what he was doing and smiled.

“I hope this is okay,” Zero said 

“Yeah, of course,” Jude said, his voice cracking just a little bit. He started forward again. “I brought plates and forks.”

“Great, thanks.” Zero took them and set them on the coffee table.

Jude wiped his palms on his jeans. “Glasses,” he said. “And drinks . . . .”

“Jude,” Zero said. “Relax. Sit down and eat. I brought beer,” Zero said, drawing two bottles out of the six pack that he’d carried inside the Whole Foods bag. “Unless you don’t like this kind.”

“No, I . . . it’s fine,” Jude said. He just wasn’t sure it was a good idea to drink beer around Zero when they weren’t in public.

“Sit,” Zero said again.

Jude sat, and Zero handed him one of the bottles. Jude opened it and took a long sip. Feeling both more and less settled, Jude set the bottle on a coaster he unburied from the pile of magazines. Zero raised an eyebrow, but took the coaster Jude handed him and set his bottle on it, as well.

Jude looked at the cartons arrayed on the table. “You got a lot.”

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a variety to choose from.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jude said.

“I thought we covered that.”

“Go to so much trouble, I mean.”

“It’s just food, Jude, no trouble,” Zero said. “Besides, it’s not like I made it,” he added with a smirk.

“Can you cook?” Jude said, watching Zero open a package of chopsticks.

“I know the basics, how to boil water,” Zero answered lightly, but Jude could tell it was a subject he didn’t want to talk about.

“I can cook. Some,” Jude said as he began opening the cartons nearest him. “My mom taught me. I just don’t see the point in cooking for one. It’s easier to eat out, or get takeout.”

Jude found a carton of Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Shrimp Lo Mein, and helped himself to little bit of each. He watched Zero use the chopsticks to put food on his plate, and then to his mouth. Jude ducked his head when Zero caught him watching.

“I never mastered chopsticks,” Jude said.

“I was just too stubborn to give up,” Zero said.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, with the low sounds of the tv as background, until Jude said, “How was practice today?

“You mean aside from Lionel’s performance in the locker room?” Zero said.

Jude smiled. “Yeah, aside from that.”

“Practice was fine,” Zero said. “Chilly, but I’m used to that.”

“Anybody besides Derek and Terrence giving you a hard time?”

“There’s no one else in my league,” Zero said.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’.”

Zero shrugged. “No one else feels threatened by me.”

“Should they feel threatened?”

“Since I plan on being top dog, yeah,” Zero said, then laughed.

“What?”

“I don’t usually share my plans with anyone else.”

“It was more like a goal than a plan,” Jude said. “Besides, you can tell me stuff like that, since I’m your fake boyfriend.”

Zero’s lips tightened, and then he smiled. “Well, you’re the best fake boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

Zero helped Jude clean up when they were done eating. He kept out two more beers and put the last two bottles in the fridge with the leftovers he insisted Jude keep. “I won’t be here to feed you tomorrow,” he teased.

“Hey,” Jude said, flushing. “I fed you last night.”

“Cold pizza and Lucky Charms,” Zero said.

“Better than nothing. And you were supposed to heat up the pizza.”

“I like it cold,” Zero said, and laughed at the face Jude made.

They returned to the living room with their bottles of beer. Zero sat on the couch, his back against the arm, one leg up on the cushions, his arm along the back. He indicated the space in front of him, practically between his legs, and said, “There’s room for you.”

Jude broke out in a sweat. “No.”

“We could cuddle,” Zero said with a wicked gleam in his eyes, and Jude gave him a look.

“I’ll pass,” Jude said – trying for dry and choking on the words a little bit – and took his favorite chair. He started out sitting on the edge, but as the night progressed he relaxed enough to lean back into the pillow. They flipped channels to check on the games being played that night, and talked about nothing important – the last movie they’d seen, where Jude liked to cycle, favorite restaurants.

Jude hadn’t realized how late it had gotten until Zero said, “I’ve got to go. I’ve got an early plane to catch.” Zero swung his legs off the couch and pointed a finger at Jude when he started to rise. “Stay put. I’m just gonna rinse this out.”

Jude stayed seated, but he felt antsy as he listened to the sounds of Zero in the kitchen, rinsing out the bottle and tipping it upside down in the dish drainer with the other two. He froze like a rabbit when Zero walked out of the kitchen and over to the chair, reaching for him.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry!” Jude said when he realized that Zero was reaching for the jacket Jude had been leaning against thinking it was the blanket.

Zero put a hand on Jude’s shoulder to keep him from getting up. “Don’t worry about it.”

Zero slid the jacket off the back of the chair, and then leaned down and brushed a kiss across Jude’s lips. Jude blinked stupidly up at him.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” Zero said, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

“Yeah,” Jude said. He didn’t know how long he just sat there after the door closed behind Zero.

~*~

“What are you working on?” Lionel said without preamble when Jude answered her call.

Jude stammered as he looked at the various piles on his desk. What _wasn’t_ he working on would be the better question.

Lionel went on without waiting for an answer. “Pack up whatever you need and meet me downstairs in ten minutes. You can work from the road.”

“The road?” Jude said, but once again he was talking to dead air.

Jude packed up files and his laptop and hurried out (almost forgetting to grab his suit jacket), but Lionel was already waiting when he got downstairs. She was on the phone, but she acknowledged Jude and they both walked out to the waiting limo.

Jude had no idea where they were going, and Lionel was still on her phone so he couldn’t ask her. He pulled out the vendor contracts he’d been going over when she’d interrupted him and began reading where he’d left off. He got absorbed in his work and was taking notes on a pad of paper, looking up only when the limo slowed.

They went through a check-point and then the limo pulled up to Oscar’s jet, apparently fueled and ready to go. “What are we doing?” Jude said.

“We’re flying to Chicago,” Lionel said as she made a flawless exit from the limo.

Jude slid across the seat after her, catching the pad and file as they began to slip off his lap. “What? _Why_ are we going to Chicago?”

“To support our team,” Lionel said, and then she was in deep conversation with the limo driver and the pilot.

Jude packed up his files and got out of the limo. “I’m not going to Chicago,” he said.

“Of course you are,” Lionel said, as if there was simply no other choice.

“I have work to do,” Jude said.

“And you’re doing it,” Lionel said. “The jet is set up with work space, so you’ll have plenty of time during the flight to get some work done.”

The limo was unloaded onto a cart – when Lionel had managed to have luggage packed for this trip, Jude had no idea – and the attendant wheeled the cart over to the jet. The driver got back into the limo and Jude saw his last chance of getting out of this trip evaporating.

Desperately, Jude said, “Lionel, I can’t go. I can’t!” The limo’s engine turned over. “He kissed me!”

Now Lionel looked interested. “Who kissed you?”

“Who do you think kissed me?” Jude hissed.

Lionel gave Jude a delighted grin. “Well, well.”

“No, not ‘well, well’! You don’t understand,” Jude groaned.

“You can tell me all about it on the plane,” Lionel said, linking her arm through his.

“What? No! Didn’t you hear me?” Jude turned his head to look at the limo, but it was already pulling away. “I can’t . . . I can’t see him.”

“Because he’ll see how freaked out you are and think you didn’t want it, or because he’ll realize how much you do?” Lionel said gently.

Jude looked at her helplessly.

“There, there,” Lionel said as she drew Jude towards the jet. “I’ll help you find your balls during the flight.”

“Jesus,” Jude said, jerking his arm away from her. “I’m having a crisis here!”

“Have it on the plane,” Lionel said without a shred of sympathy. She paused. “Look, just think of it as an opportunity.”

Before Jude could ask Lionel what the heck she’d meant by that, she moved ahead of him and very regally climbed the stairs that had been rolled up to the jet. Jude followed her because his only other choice was to walk to the airport and catch a taxi back to the arena, and if Lionel was in a bad mood, find himself out of a job.

As they were buckling up in preparation for take off, Lionel leaned across the aisle and said, “Let me know if you need my help later.”

Jude’s brow furrowed in question, and Lionel dropped her gaze to the front of his pants. Jude gave Lionel a disgusted look, which only increased her delight at the situation.

Half an hour later Jude realized that he’d been reading the same paragraph over and over and he still couldn’t remember what it said. He set the papers down and glanced over at Lionel. She’d made a few phone calls when they’d first taken off, but now she was taking a power nap. Jude lowered his eyes to his lap and gave a disgusted sigh.

It would only be polite to give Zero a heads up that they might run into each other later that evening. Talking on the phone would be easier than having their first contact after the kiss be a surprise meeting in public. Besides, Zero probably wouldn’t even answer. The team was probably warming up, or in a team meeting, or something.

Jude pulled out his phone and found Zero’s number. He stared at the contact, still unable to quite believe that he had Zero’s number in his phone. Zero had keyed it in on their first ‘date’ and then called himself so he had Jude’s number, too. Jude pressed the call button and got out of his seat. He walked to the back of the jet, but instead of sitting down, he paced in the small space.

The phone rang, and rang, and Jude was composing a message in his head when Zero answered.

Jude was almost as flustered by the low, pleased, “Hey, Jude,” as he was that he’d actually answered the phone. “Hey, Zero, I . . . sorry, I didn’t think you were going to answer the phone.”

“Did you not want me to answer the phone?” Zero said.

“No! I-I didn’t know if you’d be busy, and then the phone rang so long, I started composing a message in my head, so when you answered it threw me off.”

“You could leave the message now,” Zero said, and Jude could tell he was laughing at him.

“Too late,” Jude said, trying not to smile. “I’ve already forgotten it.”

“Well, I hope you haven’t forgotten why you called,” Zero said, his voice taking on a sultry tone.

Even as his cock reacted to that, his stomach dropped when he was reminded of why he’d called in the first place. “Oh, yeah,” Jude said.

“Is something wrong?” Zero said, all teasing gone from his voice.

“No, I just, I wanted to give you a heads up. Lionel decided to fly to Chicago for the game.”

“And that affects me how?” Zero said.

“She insisted on, uh, bringing me along,” Jude said.

“You’re in Chicago?” Zero said, and Jude’s belly flipped at the pleasure in his voice.

“Not yet,” Jude said. “We’re still in the air.”

“Are you gonna come see me before the game?” Zero said, his voice going low, deep.

Jude had to take a deep breath before he could answer. “Isn’t it frowned upon for boyfriends, fake or otherwise, to invade the locker room?”

“But you’re not just my boyfriend,” Zero said, leaving off the ‘fake’. “You’re the EVP.”

“Your boss,” Jude joked.

“Yeah,” Zero said. “That’s hot.”

“Okay, well, um, I’ll see you later, I guess,” Jude said, flustered.

Zero’s low chuckle went right to Jude’s cock. “Later.”

Jude took a deep breath and then nearly jumped out of his skin when Lionel spoke. “I see you found ‘em.”

“Found what?” Jude said, heart racing because of Zero, and now Lionel.

“Your balls.”

~*~

Four hours later they touched down at O’Hare and a Town Car met them to drove them to a hotel. “We’re not going to the arena?” Jude said.

“Looking like this?”

“You look fine,” Jude said.

“I don’t want to look _fine_ ,” Lionel said. “And neither do you.”

Lionel drew a thin box out of her bag and handed it to Jude. He opened it to find another silk tie, this one in a silver blue with a red diamond pattern on it. “You need to stop buying me expensive ties,” he said as he lifted the tie out of the box and held it up in front of himself. “I don’t think it works with this shirt.”

“But it perfectly matches the suit I brought for you to wear,” Lionel said.

“I don’t need a different suit,” Jude insisted.

“That one’s wrinkled from wearing it all day.”

“So would be any suit I wore to work, and then to a game,” Jude argued.

“Which is why I brought you a different suit to wear,” Lionel said reasonably.

“But,” Jude said. “I don’t . . . .“

“Trust me.”

~

Jude waited until the bellboy left them alone inside the extravagant suite. “I can’t believe you got a suite just so we could change our clothes.”

“Would you rather change in the airport restroom?”

~

The suit, when Jude saw it, was really fucking nice. And the tie did match perfectly. 

“It sets off your eyes,” Lionel said as she took the ends of the tie from Jude and knotted it for him.

“Nobody cares about my eyes,” Jude said.

“Oh, honey,” Lionel said.

~

“What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?” Jude said as yet another limo pulled up to the Chicago Bison arena.

“Making a statement,” Lionel said.

“What are we saying?”

“That no one should fuck with us.” Lionel glanced at Jude. “Unless they’re _actually_ fucking us, of course.”

Jude rolled his eyes and Lionel looked pleased with herself.

The driver came around and opened the door. Jude slid out first, and then held out his hand to assist Lionel. Lionel paused and smiled her thanks at Jude, giving all the cameras around them a chance to capture their arrival.

Jude waited until they were past the cameras and microphones to ask, “What was that all about?”

“There have been rumors,” Lionel said, her voice so low Jude had to strain to hear it.

“What rumors?” Jude said, blood running cold at the thought that they might have to do with him and Zero.

“The League wants to force a sale.”

Jude’s feet froze and he jerked Lionel to a halt, since her arm was linked with his. “What?”

“Keep walking,” Lionel said out of the corner of her mouth, practiced smile still on her lips.

“Why are you telling me this _now_?” Jude hissed.

“Because you freak out if you have too much time to think about things.”

Jude started to protest, but Lionel silenced him with a squeeze of the hand on his arm.

“But you excel under pressure.”

“Fucking hell,” Jude said.

~

A security guard met them at the entrance and offered to show them to the VIP lounge. Lionel requested they detour to the Devils’ locker room first.

Jude pushed open the door to the locker room to announce Lionel’s presence. Those who were still changing out of their practice uniforms didn’t have time to pull up their shorts before Lionel waltzed in. Zero was one of them, but his eyes were on Jude as he slowly pulled up the mesh material and snapped the elastic waistband. Jude quickly looked away, but he could still see Zero’s smirk out of the corner of his eye.

“Gentlemen,” Lionel said. “You’re all looking good.” She waited for the off-color comments to die down. “Let’s hope you look as good on the court tonight.” With that less-than good-natured smack down delivered, she turned to the coach. “Pete, good luck out there. Or is it, break a leg? I can never remember.” To the team as a whole, Lionel said, “Kick their asses.”

With the team cheering that sentiment, Lionel headed for the door. Jude couldn’t resist one last look in Zero’s direction before he followed her. Zero gave Jude a quick once over and raised eyebrows that made him duck his head to hide his face so Zero didn’t realize what that look had done to him.

“I enjoyed that,” Lionel said as they were led to a private elevator. “Didn’t you?”

“What?” Jude said guiltily.

Lionel’s bright tinkle of laughter filled the elevator. By the time the elevator opened onto the VIP lounge, Lionel had composed herself. The security guard stayed on the elevator, but almost as soon as they stepped off, the owner of the Chicago Bisons, George Himmell, was there to greet them.

It was only then that Jude realized what Lionel had meant when she said that Jude was good under pressure. She had come to Chicago as much to meet with Himmell as she had to watch the Devils play. Probably more. She introduced Jude, and spoke to Himmell about the importance of maintaining a dynasty, as well as the necessity of embracing change, such as bringing in new blood in order to revitalize an organization.

Himmell asked what measures they were taking to keep the Devils organization from becoming stagnant, especially in the wake of Oscar’s arrest, and Lionel turned the floor over to Jude, who spoke about the new face of the Devils – the community programs they’d started (and in some cases, restarted), the charities they supported, and their commitment to making the Devils a good place to work by being more responsive to employee concerns, including diversity.

Thankfully, Lionel took over the conversation then, because the Devils came out onto the court for their pre-game warm-ups to the boos of the hometown crowd. Jude stood and walked over to the railing and looked down on the court. The seats weren’t as full as the sound of the boos would have led him to believe, but Jude didn’t care about that. He only had eyes for the players on the boards; one in particular.

As if he felt Jude’s eyes on him, Zero glanced up. Jude swallowed hard when their eyes met, and had to avert his eyes to hide his reaction to Zero’s smirk.

“You’ll have to excuse Jude,” Lionel was saying when Jude tuned back into their conversation. “His boyfriend is on the court now.”

Jude twirled around, eyes wide. He wanted to yell at Lionel, but he didn’t want to make a scene in front of someone they needed to impress in order to keep the team. “We’re just . . . dating,” Jude ground out the word.

Lionel looked back at him as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, and Himmell gave him a considering look.

“Which one?” Himmell said.

Surprised by the question, Jude at first couldn’t make his tongue work. He came out of it (helped along by the pointy toe of Lionel’s pump to his ankle), and joined Himmell at the railing overlooking the court. Jude cleared his throat. “Zero.”

Himmell gave Jude a look that could’ve been impressed or surprised. “You can handle that one?” he said. Without waiting for a response from Jude, he went on. “My nephew’s gay.”

Jude just barely managed to keep his eyes from sliding over to where Lionel still sat sipping a glass of wine and looking out over the court as if she wasn’t paying any attention to them.

Himmell continued. “He used to like the bad boys, too. Until he found the one he wanted to marry. They tied the knot last fall. You ever think about getting married, son?”

Jude felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. (‘Microscope’ didn’t come close to describing the heat he felt at this line of questioning.) “I-I’ve barely thought about dating, sir,” Jude said.

Himmell gave Jude an appraising look. “Jumped into the deep end with that one, then, didn’t you?”

Jude could honestly say, “Yes,” to that question.

“You brought me with you because I’m _gay_?” Jude said when he and Lionel had a moment alone.

“I brought you because you’re Jude Kinkade, heir to the Kinkade dynasty, and the EVP of Business Operations for the Devils,” Lionel said loftily. “And also because you’re gay.”

“I can’t believe you used me like that,” Jude said.

“I’d do worse than that to make sure we kept the team,” Lionel said.

Lionel and Jude were introduced to other members of Himmell’s family and the Bisons organization as they made an appearance. Despite having very little in common with her, Lionel struck up a cordial conversation with Priscilla Himmell. Jude talked business operations with a board member whose name he missed when Himmell introduced him as, “Watch out for this one. He won’t care that you’ve got a boyfriend down on the court.” The two men stared at each other. The unknown board member in an appraising manner. Jude, he was sure, with a deer in the headlights expression.

The Himmells and Lionel and Jude made their way courtside before the game began, and they each took their seats behind their respective teams. Zero caught Jude’s eye before the game started. Jude gave him a thumbs up, and then felt ridiculous for having done it, but Zero gave him an appreciative nod in return.

Jude never tired of watching the Devils play. As a child growing up, all he’d ever wanted was to be part of the team. Not as a player (Jude had never been good at basketball), but he’d wanted in so badly he could taste it. And now here he was. He watched the game with an intense concentration, but he could admit, if only to himself, that he paid more attention to Zero than to any other player.

The game was close, but the Bisons took it by one point. It came down to two foul shots with seconds left on the clock after Terrence went up to block a shot and got more than the ball.

Despite having to grit her teeth and smile, Lionel searched out the Himmells to congratulate them on their team’s win. By that time, the Devils had cleared off the court and returned to the visiting locker room. The only indication of their presence was Sammy, a glorified assistant whose job it was to collect stray water bottles and towels.

Jude followed Lionel to the locker room where most of the players already wore towels around their hips; either just heading into, or just having gotten out of, the showers.

“Good game,” Lionel said to the room at large.

“We lost,” Zero said in disgust.

“Which is why I didn’t say ‘great game’,” Lionel said. “Congratulations on a well-played game,” she told Pete. “We’ll see you all at home tomorrow.”

“No comment about that foul?” Terrence said defensively.

“Did you purposely foul Rogers so we’d lose the game?” Lionel said.

“Of course not!” Terrence said.

“Then no, no comment.” Lionel started towards the door, then paused and said to Jude, “Did you want to say goodbye to anyone?”

“Jesus, Lionel,” Jude said. He glanced in Zero’s direction, then did a double take when he realized that Zero was coming towards him with that familiar cock of the walk strut.

Zero took Jude’s arm and moved him a few steps away from Lionel and the others. Jude glanced down, then quickly raised his eyes over Zero’s shoulder so he wouldn’t be tempted to look down again. He caught a look of pure hatred in Terrence’s eyes.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think Lionel was trying to get you beat up in the showers,” Jude said, only half joking.

“They already want to beat me up,” Zero said dismissively.

“You don’t sound worried about that,” Jude said.

“If my teammates are complacent, then I’m not doing my job. Besides, I can take care of myself.”

“Was that supposed to be reassuring?”

Zero gave Jude a look that made him shift nervously.

“What, um, what did you want?”

“Are you free tomorrow night?” Zero said.

“Are you asking me on a date in a locker room?” Jude said. He glanced at Lionel, who was pretending to be busy on her phone, and then at the other players, most of whom had continued with their post-game routine and were paying them no mind.

“You wouldn’t leave a guy hanging in front of his teammates, would you?”

Jude made a show of checking his watch. “You know, I don’t know, I might be busy with work.”

“It’s a little late to start playing hard to get,” Zero said.

Jude’s cheeks heated, but he said, “Who playing?” He slapped Zero on the arm and didn’t let his hand linger. “Have your people call my people.”

Zero grinned as Jude left. In the corridor, Jude hid a smile of his own.

“If that’s what you call foreplay,” Lionel said, “it’s no wonder you haven’t gotten laid yet.”

Jude ignored her, because just then his phone vibrated against his chest. He didn’t have to check the screen to know it was Zero.

~*~

The next two weeks were busier than usual. In addition to his normal responsibilities, Jude now accompanied Lionel on her Tour of the League, as he was calling it. Plus he was the Devils’ management contact for the charity auction, which was looming closer. And then there was Zero.

When they were both in LA, Zero dropped by Jude’s office during the day between drills and weight training, when he needed to blow off steam, and before he left for the day. He’d drop into a chair (never the one Jelena had sat in) and ask Jude how his day was going. Sometimes he’d bring dinner, and other times they’d make plans for after Jude got out of the office.

Since Jude was working late most nights to catch up, he was rarely in the mood to go out. Zero brought takeout to Jude’s place and they caught up on movies they’d both missed at the theater before checking the scores on Sports Now! or Sports Center. When the Devils had away games, he and Zero were like ships that passed in the night, but with the benefit of a boss who kept throwing them together and the convenience of cell phones.

One night when they were alone in his apartment, Jude said, “You don’t have to keep coming over if you’ve got other things to do.”

Zero gave him a look. “Since when do I do things I don’t want to?”

“I’m just saying,” Jude said. “No one sees us here. The paps don’t even really care anymore.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but their interest wasn’t as keen as it had been right after Zero had leaked their first ‘date’ and gotten them on the front pages for a couple of days.

“I’m not coming over here so people see us together,” Zero said.

“Obviously,” Jude said.

“No, I mean . . . . Your premise is inaccurate.”

“My _premise_?” Jude said.

“ _If_ I’m only here because of the charity auction, then you’re right, spending time with you in private _would_ be a waste of time.”

“Exactly!”

Zero gave Jude a smile, like he was a child who just couldn’t grasp a concept. “You don’t get it,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a waste of time.”

“But . . . .”

“I’ve got to head out,” Zero said, pushing to his feet.

Jude automatically stood, as well.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. You’re going to the game, right?”

“Yeah, of course I . . . .”

Zero leaned in and brushed his lips across Jude’s, and then he was gone. Jude heard the door close, but he was frozen to the spot. He raised his hand and pressed his fingers to his lips. It was the second time Zero had kissed him, and while neither kiss could be described as passionate, they left Jude feeling utterly discombobulated.

It took Jude a long time to fall asleep that night. Zero had agreed with him. On the surface, anyway. If they were merely supporting the charade they’d begun for the charity auction, then Zero bringing him takeout and dropping by his office to see how he was doing did nothing to further that. But Zero had said that he didn’t think it was a waste of time.

_Your premise is in accurate._

If Zero wasn’t spending time with Jude because of the charity auction, then why was he doing so?

~

Jude slept late, and even the caffeine Doris supplied him with didn’t help him break through the fog he’d fallen into. Jude was on the phone with one of their suppliers when he heard the sound of a basketball being dribbled on the floor. His stomach got all twisted up when he realized that Zero was coming. Jude had no illusions that he’d be able to keep Zero out – he hadn’t been able to so far, not that he’d tried too hard – so he tried to finish the call up quickly.

Jude’s heart raced faster the closer the bouncing ball, and Zero, got, and it affected his ability to keep his cool. Jude said something sharp about contracts and lawyers, and he hung up the phone with a little more force than necessary.

“Wow,” Zero said.

When Jude looked up, Zero was standing just inside the door, still dribbling the ball, passing it from one hand to the other.

“Coming from you, that was pretty harsh.”

“I’m a little bit irritable because I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Jude said.

Zero caught the ball and held it between his hands. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“No you’re not.”

“I take it you did some thinking last night after I left.” Zero gently threw the ball in the air, just letting it roll off the tips of his fingers before catching it.

“Yes,” Jude gritted out.

“Did you figure it out, then?”

“No.”

Zero stopped playing with the ball and gave Jude his undivided attention. He studied Jude intently for a moment, then relaxed and said, “Liar.”

Zero sounded pleased about that, and it irritated Jude like a stone in his shoe. “Why can’t you just say what you mean?”

Zero’s brow furrowed as if he was actually giving that some thought. “I don’t know how to say what I mean. I lie to people. I created this . . . character that no one looks past to see the real me. I don’t want to lie to you.”

Jude was overwhelmed and struck speechless by the vulnerability he heard in Zero’s voice. They’d slowly been getting to know each other (fake dates or not, they were spending a lot of time in each other’s company), but that was the most personal and honest that Zero had been with him since that night in the weight room.

“Since you’re still having trouble figuring it out,” Zero said, his tone lighter, “I’ll tell you this. I have no problem going after what I need.”

“Jelena,” Jude said.

Zero nodded. “But I never take what I want.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Jude said, “Zero . . . “

Zero cut him off. “I’ll see you after the game. You can let me know if you’ve figured it out then.”

Jude looked at his watch after Zero left. The game was hours away yet. So long to wait, and not nearly long enough.

~

Jude didn’t see Zero for the rest of the day, but he still made his presence felt. Doris kept a blank face when she delivered the lunch Zero had ordered for Jude, and then later the flower arrangement. Jude threw his pencil down as he studied the flowers. “He’s a menace.”

Somehow, Jude got through the rest of the day. He met Lionel and the owner du jour for a drink in the Playground before the game, glad that he’d at least had lunch, courtesy of Zero, even though it had been hours ago. He nursed the drink and picked at the finger food Lionel ordered, afraid that his stomach would rebel this close to game time, and the inevitability of seeing Zero again.

“You were distracted,” Lionel said when they were alone.

“Mmm,” Jude agreed without really hearing what she said.

“I take it you two haven’t slept together yet,” Lionel said, sounding bored.

Jude turned wide eyes on her. “What?”

“I need your head in the game, Jude. Especially now.”

“I’m not going to sleep with Zero just to get my head in the game,” Jude hissed. And then he betrayed himself by blushing.

A slow smile crept across Lionel’s face. “But you _are_ going to sleep with him.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about this,” Jude said loftily.

Lionel gave a delighted laugh.

~*~

Jude sat with Lionel in the owner’s courtside seats, along with Eric Talbot, one of the board members she was courting. Zero caught Jude’s eye a couple of times during warm-ups, time-outs, and half-time, but the looks he gave Jude were without the usual smirk, and Jude felt like, for the second time that day, he was being given a glimpse behind the mask Zero wore.

After the game, Jude shook hands with Lionel and Talbot before Lionel was surrounded by reporters wanting a statement. Jude watched her for a moment; Lionel was in her element in front of the camera. He searched the crowd for Zero, and found him surrounded by a bevy of reporters. Jude smiled to himself at the memory of the plays Zero had made that night, and the recognition he was getting for them now.

Zero looked up before Jude could look away. He gave Jude another one of those looks, and then said something that made the reporter smile and excused himself. Jude shoved his hands into his pockets, afraid of what he might do otherwise.

“Good game,” Jude said when Zero was close enough to hear him.

“Oh, you know, I’m just happy to do my part in helping the team get another win. The team’s the most important thing.”

Jude snorted. He took a deep breath and looked directly into Zero’s eyes. “Good game,” he said again.

Zero looked at him for what seemed like a very long time before simply saying, “Thank you.”

“Drinks at the Playground are on Lionel tonight,” Jude said.

“Wouldn’t want to miss that.”

“It’s a good place to be seen,” Jude said. Before Zero could misinterpret that and close up, Jude went on. “Maybe you could come back to my place after.”

“Okay,” Zero said warily.

“Bring a change of clothes if you don’t want to do the walk of shame in the morning,” Jude said.

Zero looked at Jude like he was trying to figure him out, which Jude thought was only fair, because he was still trying to figure Zero out.

Jude saw some more reporters angling in their direction, and pointed them out to Zero. Before Zero could move away to intercept them, Jude said, “I don’t take what I want, either.” He released his hands from their prison and let them land on Zero’s arms. He leaned in and brushed his lips over Zero’s in an infuriatingly brief kiss. “I’m going to start.”

~

Jude was standing at the bar with Lionel and some of the board members, congratulating each other on the win, when Zero entered the Playground. Jude couldn’t see him at first, a crush of all the ‘important people’ between him and the door, but he felt eyes on him. He knew he was being stalked even before he looked up and saw Zero crossing the room with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Zero stopped in front of Jude, standing so close he could feel the heat of him even in a room that already felt overheated. He was glad he had the bar at his back when Zero casually dropped his hand onto his hip as he caught the bartender’s eye and ordered a beer. Jude’s breath caught when Zero’s fingers flexed.

Zero reached past Jude to accept the beer and took a sip before letting his gaze meet Jude’s again. He lowered his head, but instead of the kiss Jude expected, Zero placed his lips next to Jude’s ear. “Do you know how difficult it was to get through the interviews after that little stunt you pulled?”

Jude gulped as warm breath feathered across his ear and Zero’s hand shifted on his hip. “It wasn’t a stunt.”

“Prove it,” Zero said, and Jude bit back a moan when Zero’s lips brushed his ear.

Jude reached up and curled his fingers around Zero’s neck. He turned his head until his lips touched Zero’s cheek. As Zero drew back, Jude’s lips dragged across his skin until he was able to turn Zero’s head just enough for their lips to meet.

Zero’s hand slid to Jude’s lower back and brought them closer together. Jude couldn’t hold back the soft moan this time, but before he could deepen the kiss a splash of cold water in the form of Lionel interrupted them.

“Zero, I’m so glad you could make it. And while I’d pay good money to watch whatever it is you two plan to do tonight, I feel like I should remind you that this is a public place.”

When Zero drew back he looked about as wrecked as Jude felt. The fact that a simple kiss could knock him so off kilter was thrilling. And a little bit frightening. Zero pulled his mask back firmly into place and turned his usual cocky smirk onto Lionel. Jude felt a strange warmth in his chest at the realization that Zero had dropped his mask with him, and had allowed him to see the moment he put it back on.

“Thanks for the drink,” Zero said as he raised the bottle he still held in his hand and saluted Lionel with it.

Zero hadn’t stepped back, so Jude was still trapped between his body and the bar, Zero’s hand still heavy against his lower back. Zero tipped his head and placed the bottle to his lips, and Jude’s gaze was drawn to the way Zero’s throat worked when he swallowed. Jude had to look away, but when he did, his gaze met Lionel’s. She had a calculating gleam in her eyes.

“Which one?” Lionel said, and at first Jude couldn’t remember what she was responding to.

Zero lowered the bottle and gave Lionel a smile that was all teeth. “I haven’t tasted him, yet.”

“Oh my god,” Jude said, Lionel’s meaning now clear. He turned his face away as if that would allow him to distance himself from them, despite the fact that Zero couldn’t get any closer to Jude without earning them an R rating.

Zero’s thumb stroked little movements on Jude’s back, and Jude was so distracted by it that he barely heard Lionel’s, “Take him home. And dear god, please don’t leak a sex tape. I’ve got enough on my plate right now.”

“Jesus, Lionel,” Jude groaned.

“You heard the lady,” Zero said to Jude. “You wanna blow this pop stand?”

“Yes,” Jude said. He hated how breathless he sounded, so he cleared his throat and said, “I mean, sure.”

Zero grinned. He took another sip of beer, and then leaned into Jude, which was totally unnecessary, to set the bottle on the bar. He let his hand slide down over Jude’s ass and around to his hip, and when he stepped back he caught Jude’s hand and pulled him away from the bar where he’d been happily pinned.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Jude said to Lionel as he let Zero lead him away.

“Not too early, I hope,” Lionel said with a wink.

They ignored everyone they passed on the way to the Playground doors. In the elevator, Zero gave Jude a smug smile, and Jude had to remind himself that there were cameras in the elevator and that Lionel would kill them if they broke her stricture so soon. Zero didn’t release Jude’s hand until they reached his Porsche.

Jude didn’t think about his own car until he was sliding into the decadent seat. He didn’t know how he was going to get to work in the morning (Zero staying the entire night was not a given), but Jude decided not to worry about it until tomorrow. Right now, that was the least of his concerns. The man sliding behind the wheel was the greatest of them.

Zero glanced over and raised an eyebrow at Jude’s regard. “Having second thoughts?”

Jude shook his head. “No.”

Zero smiled and started the engine. Jude’s heart raced faster than the horses under the hood when Zero pulled out of the parking lot. He felt like he was walking a tight rope without a net. It was exhilarating and scary as hell in equal measure.

Jude reached over and placed his hand on Zero’s leg, just above his knee. Zero covered Jude’s hand with his own even as he gave Jude a look that was both surprised and pleased. Jude smiled and looked away. He laughed when Zero sped up, not all of the butterflies in his belly due to their speed.

Jude didn’t know what he expected to happen when they got to his apartment. Maybe for Zero to throw him against the wall, or to just take the lead, but Zero shoved his hands into the front pockets of his suit slacks and looked around as if he was seeing Jude’s apartment for the first time, seeing _Jude_ for the first time.

“Hey,” Zero said.

Jude let out a nervous laugh. “Hey.”

“So,” Zero said, reaching up to run a hand over his head.

The suspense was killing him, which was the only reason Jude could think of for why he made the first move. Jude stepped up to Zero. Before he could second guess himself he slid his hand around the back of Zero’s neck and leaned in to kiss him. Zero looked surprised at first, but then he brought his hand down and touched the side of Jude’s face as he kissed him back.

Zero’s other hand slipped around his back, pulled him closer, and Jude made a surprised sound when their bodies came together. Jude moaned when Zero moved his hips against him. Zero pulled back and Jude’s eyes dropped to his lips, shiny and red. The corners curled up in a toned down version of his usual smirk, and he looked at Jude through lowered lashes.

“I wanna hear you make that sound again,” Zero said, his voice raspy.

Desire twisted Jude’s belly. “Make me,” he said.

Zero’s eyes went dark, and all traces of the smirk dropped from his face. “You know I can’t resist a challenge.”

Jude raised his chin and gave Zero as much of a defiant look as he could with the blood pooling in his groin. Because he did know.

When Zero kissed him again, Jude lost himself in it. And when Zero walked him backwards to the bedroom, Jude just held on and went were Zero steered him.


	3. Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a teensy bit of misunderstanding created angst, but it's resolved (mostly) by the end of this part, so no cliffhanger-y-ness.

Jude didn’t know how long he’d been awake, staring at the ceiling, when Zero finally made waking up sounds beside him.

“What are you smiling about?” Zero said, his voice rough from sleep and his amazing ability to swallow Jude’s cock.

Jude hadn’t realized he’d been smiling, but the smile widened at Zero’s grouchy morning tone. “Nothing,” Jude said.

Zero turned onto his side. “Doesn’t look like nothing.”

Jude turned his eyes, his smile, onto Zero. “Just, this guy,” he said.

Zero quirked an eyebrow as he moved closer to Jude and slid a hand over his stomach. “Do tell.”

“He kinda rocked my world last night.”

“Kinda?” Zero said with mock offense. “Well, then, he’ll have to do better this morning.”

Jude thought ‘better’ might actually kill him.

~

Jude got into the office late. Doris was already at her desk when he walked into the reception area outside his office. She raised her head from her work and looked at him with the blank expression she’d perfected.

“Good morning, Mr. Kinkade,” Doris said as she rose and stepped out from behind the desk with a steaming mug of coffee.

“Good morning, Doris.” Jude wondered how she’d timed that so perfectly, but was just glad that she appeared willing to ignore his tardiness.

“Mrs. Kinkade requested that you go see her as soon as you got in,” Doris said apologetically.

Jude dropped the hand holding the keycard he’d been about to wave under the reader to his office. He’d been _so_ close.

“I could tell her you haven’t arrived yet,” Doris said perceptively.

Jude actually considered the offer, but it wouldn’t work. He sighed. “No, but thank you. Her spies have probably already told her I’m here.”

The corners of Doris’ lips twitched, but the rest of her face retained the blank expression. “Very well, sir.”

Jude took his coffee with him to Lionel’s office. He had a feeling that he’d need the caffeine to deal with whatever she had in store for him.

Jude took a fortifying sip before stepping into Lionel’s outer office and greeting her administrative assistant, Rhonda. Rhonda was new (Lionel claimed that Oscar had been sleeping with the last one) and her inexperience showed in her tendency towards over-achievement.

Rhonda jumped up from her desk when Jude entered and said, “Mrs. Kinkade is expecting you. I’ll just let her know you’re here.”

Jude waited while Rhonda knocked on the closed door and stuck her head in to announce him, taking the opportunity to drink some more of the coffee, which had just reached the perfect drinking temperature.

Rhonda’s head reappeared. “You may go right in, Mr. Kinkade.”

“Thank you, Rhonda.” Jude stepped past Rhonda into Lionel’s office. He turned to push the door closed behind him, but it was already softly clicking shut. He turned to look at Lionel, who was studying him from behind the large desk. He indicated the closed door with his coffee cup. “She’s . . . .”

“Efficient?”

“I was going to say ‘scary’, but sure, let’s go with yours.” Beating around the bush with Lionel only made her more tenacious, so Jude said, “Doris said you wanted to see me.”

“Yes.” Lionel indicated the couch and chairs arranged in front of the desk and got up to join him. “I wanted an update on the Devils For Kids program.”

Jude took a seat on the couch and waited for Lionel to relax into one of the chairs across from him. He filled her in on the various organizations they’d partnered with so far to help under-privileged kids, the number of basketball players who were ‘donating’ their time, and the number of kids that had signed up.

“That’s good,” Lionel said. “This is the kind of good publicity we need.”

Oscar’s arrest had tarnished the entire organization, and they were still trying to recover from it.

“The charity auction is coming up soon,” Lionel said.

“Three weeks,” Jude said, and his stomach fluttered at the realization of it. He ignored it and told Lionel how many celebrities they had confirmed for the auction, and which of the high-rolling invitees hadn’t yet accepted.

“And how was last night?”

“None of your business,” Jude said. He knew Lionel too well to be lulled by her apparent desire to discuss legitimate Devils business.

“You owe me,” Lionel said.

“How do you figure that?”

“If I hadn’t assigned you the task of bidding on Zero at the charity auction, you two never would’ve gotten your heads out of your asses and resolved the sexual tension formerly known as unresolved.”

Jude rolled his eyes at her dramatics. “There was no sexual tension, unresolved or otherwise.”

“Clearly there was,” Lionel said. “Come on.” She leaned forward. “Spill! I need to hear some good news on the romance front.”

“There isn’t anything to spill,” Jude said. “We watched game highlights and ate frozen yogurt.”

None of which was a lie, even if it wasn’t the _entire_ truth. Jude chose not to mention that they’d done it naked after round one, sharing Fancy Pash right from the container, and that this time he’d accepted Zero’s invitation to join him on the couch.

“Hmm,” Lionel said. She clearly didn’t believe that was all there was to the story, but she wasn’t going to push it. For now. But Jude was under no illusion that she’d let it go.

“If that’s all you needed,” Jude said, “I’ve got to prepare for a meeting with the janitorial and maintenance rep.”

Lionel waved a negligent hand. “That’s all.”

Jude didn’t believe for a minute that was all, but he made his escape while he could. He hurried back to his office and came to an abrupt stop when he saw Zero sitting on the corner of Doris’ desk. Both looked up when he entered, and both looked relieved and happy, respectively, to see him.

Doris stood and approached him, and Jude relinquished the coffee cup when she asked if she could get him a refill. Jude asked her to wait until he was done with Zero, and then gestured for Zero to follow him. He glanced at Doris, who looked like she was itching to straighten the corner of her desk that Zero had knocked askew. With a shock of surprise, Jude realized he felt a lot like that desk right now; his entire world tilted just slightly off its axis.

“What did Lionel want?” Zero said once they were closed inside Jude’s office.

“To grill me about last night under the guise of asking for updates on the charity auction and the Devils For Kids program.”

Jude walked over to his desk just so he had something to do, but he didn’t move around it. He was tempted to use it as a barrier because Zero made him feel things that made him as uncomfortable as they excited him.

Zero came over to stand beside Jude. He rested his ass against the desk, much as he’d done to Doris’, and braced his hands on the edge. Unlike Doris, Jude liked that Zero felt comfortable enough to make himself at home in his office.

“What did you tell her?”

“That we ate frozen yogurt and watched the game highlights,” Jude said.

“Not a lie,” Zero said.

“No.”

Zero held up his fist and Jude grinned as he bumped it with his own.

“So.” Zero stretched his arms behind him and leaned back on the desk. “You ever have sex on this desk?”

“What? No!” Jude said. “And I’m not going to,” he added when he saw the gleam that came into Zero’s eyes. “I can’t believe you even asked that.”

Zero raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, fine, I can believe you asked, but this is, this is where I work. I need, I need to work on that desk,” he finished helplessly.

“Instead of imagining getting bent over it?” Zero said casually.

“Yes! No!” Jude stared at the wall over Zero’s shoulder and tried to ignore the heat in his cheeks. And the images in his head.

Zero pushed off the desk and gave Jude a quick, hard kiss. “I have to get back. Enjoy your meeting.”

“I hate you,” Jude said.

Zero’s laughter rang in Jude’s ears long after he was gone.

~*~

Jude had already finished up when Zero showed up to his office at the end of the day. He looked surprised to see Jude packing file folders into his briefcase.

“You have to leave early tonight,” Jude explained, looking at his desk instead of Zero as if there might be something he was forgetting. “So I thought I’d leave work early and maybe cook.”

Jude couldn’t tell if Zero’s silence was good or bad. “Unless you don’t want . . . .”

“No, I . . . want,” Zero said. “It’s just . . . .” He indicated the briefcase. “I thought I’d spend the night, most of it, anyway, and leave from your place.”

A wave of pleasure rolled over Jude. “Oh. Yeah, that’s . . . .”

“Do you have work you need to finish tonight?”

“No, I-I thought I’d need something to do after you left,” Jude admitted.

“So it’s a date,” Zero said.

Jude smiled. “Yeah, it is.”

They walked to the parking lot together and Jude felt a little thrill at the idea that people would see them walking together, would know that they were, well, if not really boyfriends yet, at least not fake ones anymore. They separated at their cars – Jude to hit the market, and Zero to go home to pack for a three game road trip.

Since it was a spur of the moment decision, Jude didn’t have a lot of prep time, so he chose something he could throw together pretty quickly, and hoped like hell it was something Zero would enjoy. Based on the takeout Zero had brought over on various occasions, Jude felt safe going with chicken.

Jude dumped his briefcase and grocery bags on the chair. He removed his suit jacket and carefully folded it over the back. Jude unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up the sleeves as he headed for the kitchen. He turned on the oven on his way to the sink to wash his hands. He didn’t want to take the time to change his clothes, so Jude pulled out the apron his mother had given him as a house-warming gift.

Jude got out bowls and utensils and ingredients and stirred together a honey mustard sauce. He basted the boneless chicken breasts and placed them in a pan. The pan went in the oven even though it hadn’t finished pre-heating, and Jude set the timer so he could flip the breasts in twenty minutes.

Jude washed out the insides of the rice cooker he hadn’t used since he moved in and left them in the dish drainer. He rinsed the zucchini and yellow squash and got out the cutting board. Jude looked around the kitchen to make sure he had everything ready to go, and then went back out to the living room.

Jude cleared off the table and dug out a jar candle someone had given him, that supposedly smelled like a mountain lodge. He shrugged and lit it, then set it in the middle of the table. Jude was back in the kitchen slicing the squash when he heard Zero using the key he’d given him one night when they had plans to meet, but Jude knew he’d be working late. Jude had put the spare key on his ring and never asked for the other back.

“Honey, I’m home!” Zero called.

Jude smiled down at the cutting board. “In the kitchen!” he called back.

“You cleared off the table and lit a candle,” Zero observed as he crossed through the living room. “Is it a special occasion?”

“I thought it would be nice to sit at the table for a change,” Jude said, trying to keep the nerves out of his voice.

“I’m not complaining,” Zero said, stepping into the kitchen. “I like it.”

A pleased flush rose on Jude’s skin. He kept slicing even as he felt Zero move to stand right behind him, then rest his chin on Jude’s shoulder and peer over to see what he was doing.

“I hope that apron says ‘kiss the cook’,” Zero said.

Jude set down the knife and turned around so Zero could see the front of the apron, which pictured a bunch of chili peppers and said ‘Hot Stuff!’. Zero took a step back to read it, and laughed. He leaned in and gave Jude a kiss that he was tempted to deepen, but then the chicken would burn and the butter melting in the pan on top of the stove would probably start a fire, which, Jude had to remind himself, would be bad.

Zero let Jude go without too much of a fuss. He leaned against the counter and watched Jude drop the discs of squash into the hot butter (and sprinkle it liberally with onion powder and garlic salt, because in his hurry he’d forgotten to pick up actual onions), turn the chicken breasts and give them another coat of the honey mustard sauce, and start the rice cooker.

“I’m getting kind of turned on watching you cook for me.” The words were spoken casually, but there was a heat in Zero’s gaze that, ironically, made Jude shiver.

“Good,” Jude said bravely, and watched Zero’s eyes widen in appreciation of his boldness.

They managed to keep their clothes on through dinner, but it was a near thing. Jude asked about practice, and how things were going with Derek and Terrence. Zero asked how things were going with the vendor contracts Jude was in the middle of renewing for next season, and Lionel’s meetings with the owners.

Jude must’ve given him a deer in the headlights look, because Zero said, “Please. Anyone with half a brain and the slightest bit of common sense could tell that something’s up. Not that I don’t appreciate her visits to the locker room,” he added, which made Jude smile. “Plus, she’s got you, heir to the empire and her most trusted EVP, traveling with her.

Jude hesitated only for a moment, then confided, “Lionel heard a rumor that the League wants to force a sale.”

“You’re kidding,” Zero said.

“I wish I was.”

“The Kinkade’s have owned the Devils for over 25 years!”

Jude shook his head. “The Kinkade name doesn’t mean very much anymore, thanks to Oscar. Plus, he gave the League a black eye, and I’m sure they don’t like that.”

Zero laid his hand over Jude’s, and unfolded the fist Jude hadn’t even realized he’d made. “I have faith in you. And Lionel. You’re smart, and she’s devious; that’s a killer combination.”

Jude smiled. “Thanks. You know, I think we might actually be making headway with some of the other owners.”

“See?” Zero said. “I told you so.”

Jude laughed. He stood and picked up his plate. “I’m gonna get this cleaned up so we can watch tv, or something.”

“TV, or something,” Zero drawled as he followed Jude’s lead. “Is that what the young kids are calling it these days?”

Jude glanced over his shoulder and blushed when Zero waggled his eyebrows at him. It looked ridiculous, but Jude was still captivated by it. He turned away and started drawing water in the sink to give himself something to do that wasn’t Zero, but Zero nudged him out of the way and insisted on doing the dishes since Jude had cooked the meal.

Jude put away the leftovers while Zero washed, and then he leaned against the counter under the pretense of drying the dishes, watching Zero the way Zero had watched him earlier. Zero had pushed up the sleeves of his thin navy blue sweater, and Jude couldn’t help staring at his forearms. He felt a wave of desire as Zero rinsed off the pan and set it in the dish drainer, and something more at the reality of having Zero in his apartment sharing this domestic task with him.

Jude must’ve made a sound because Zero glanced over. “Something wrong?”

“Definitely not wrong,” Jude said, and Zero must’ve heard something in his voice because he looked down at himself, and then back at Jude. “Really?”

Jude moved so that he stood behind Zero. He curled an arm around his waist and rested his hand on Zero’s stomach. He pressed a kiss to the back of Zero’s neck. Jude had never felt so daring. “Why don’t we finish these later?” he said.

Zero turned around in the tight space between Jude and the sink, and rested his hands on Jude’s back. Jude could feel the dampness from Zero’s wet hands seeping through his shirt, but he didn’t care. He leaned forward and kissed Zero. Zero made a sound like he was dying and tightened his arms around Jude.

~*~

Zero had to get up at an ungodly early hour to catch the bus from the arena to the airport. Jude barely felt the lack of sleep when the alarm on Zero’s phone went off, because Zero was stretched out beside him, one leg thrown over his.

Jude rolled to his side and looked at Zero, who was still blinking blearily as if trying to figure out where he was. Jude smiled and, cognizant of his morning breath, gave Zero a closed mouth kiss.

“Morning,” Zero said, voice rough and gravely.

“Morning,” Jude said, and then disappeared beneath the covers to give Zero the wake up he’d promised him before they’d fallen asleep.

If the soft curse when Jude’s tongue touched him, and the hand squeezing his shoulder were any indication, Zero was fully awake now.

~

Jude didn’t even mind that there were still dishes in the sink. He finished them as he daydreamed about last night, and imagined seeing Zero later again that evening in Utah before the game. He started the coffee maker and took a shower while it brewed. Jude sipped coffee while he dressed and packed, and then he took advantaged of the cleared table to do some of the work he’d brought home with him.

When Jude sailed into her office later that morning, Lionel gave him a slow blink. “Jesus,” she said. “How long have you been up?”

Jude dropped onto the couch and grinned at her. “Zero had to be awake early to catch the flight, so . . .”

Lionel stood and moved around the desk. “You told me nothing had happened.”

Jude studied his fingernails. “Did I?”

“You _jerk_!” Lionel said. She moved pretty quickly in pumps and she’d snatched up a pillow off the couch and was hitting Jude with it before he realized what she was up to.

Jude laughed and yelled for her to stop, and Lionel called him names as she pummeled him with the stuffed weapon.

“Mrs. Kinkade?”

Jude and Lionel both froze in mid-motion and jerked their heads towards the door where Rhonda stood, looking both horrified and fascinated at the tableau before her.

“I’m sorry. I heard . . . yelling?” Her eyes fell to the pillow clutched in Lionel’s hands. “Is everything alright?”

Lionel straightened from where she’d been bent over Jude. She realized she was still holding the pillow and threw it at him. Jude caught it just before it hit him in the face.

Lionel smoothed her dress, and smiled. “Yes, Rhonda, everything is fine. Thank you.”

As soon as the door closed behind Rhonda, Jude started snickering. Lionel gave him a dirty look, but soon joined in.

“How long before the rumor starts that we were having kinky sex in my office?” Lionel said, which set Jude off again.

~

In the locker room, Zero said, “So you and Lionel were having kinky sex in her office?”

Jude laughed. “We need to figure out how that rumor traveled so fast.”

“So, no kinky sex?”

“You sound disappointed,” Jude said. “But no. She was hitting me with a pillow.”

Zero raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why was she hitting you with a pillow?”

Jude blushed.

Zero grinned. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

“It’s not . . . that good. I just admitted that I might’ve lied when I told her nothing happened. Between us.”

Zero looked pleased. “And so you had a pillow fight. Makes sense.”

“‘Pillow fight’ implies a quid pro quo on the . . .” Jude mimicked smacking someone with a pillow. “While I was forced to defend myself.” He ducked down and held his arms in front of his face.

Zero’s lips twitched. “My hero.”

~

The road trip took them to Denver and Portland after Utah. Jude was just thankful that he had notice of their trips now so he could pack his own bags. In Portland Lionel got a phone call that made the blood drain out of her face. “I need to get back to LA.”

“What happened?” Jude said worriedly.

“I think I know why the League is considering a forced sale,” Lionel said.

“Why?”

“Because they’ve already got an interested buyer.”

“What? Who?”

Lionel’s face was red with anger now. “That’s what I’m going to find out,” she said determinedly as she started to re-pack her bags.

When Jude followed suit, Lionel put out her hand to stop him. “You can’t leave.”

“But if you’re leaving . . . .”

“That’s why you _can’t_ leave. You need to take my meeting with Hilda Snyder.”

“What?” Jude said, panicked.

“Jude, we need the other owners on our side when the League calls for a vote on this, which is looking more likely now,” she added with a venomous twist to her lips.

“But, I don’t . . . this isn’t . . . .”

“Just do what you’ve been doing,” Lionel said, “and charm the pants off of her.”

“I’m not a charmer,” Jude said. “I don’t, I don’t charm people,” he added weakly.

~

Out of habit, Jude stopped by the locker room before the game. “I don’t have Lionel’s way with words,” he said, earning a few chuckles. “So, kick their asses out there, rah, rah!” Jude shook his fist as if he was holding a pom pom.

Pete approached Jude. “Stirring speech.”

“Yeah,” Jude said. “Did Lionel get a hold of you?”

Pete nodded. “Said you needed a ride back to LA.”

“Yes, great, thanks,” Jude said. He could tell that Pete wanted more information, but he excused himself and met Zero near the door.

“Where’s Lionel?” Zero said.

“She had to fly back to LA.” Jude hesitated, then leaned in closer. “She found out that there might be a buyer.”

Zero looked confused, then surprised. “For the . . . ?”

Jude nodded.

“Who?”

“She doesn’t know yet.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah.” Jude checked his watch. He wished he could stay, but he had a meeting to get to. “I’ve got to go meet with Hilda Snyder now,” Jude said.

“Kick her ass out there,” Zero said, then waved his fist. “Rah, rah.”

“Fuck you,” Jude said, but he was smiling when he left to head to his meeting.

~

Hilda Snyder was an 80-year old woman who was immune to charm. At least, Jude’s brand of it. But her mind was still sharp as a tack, and she loved to talk the nitty gritty details of running a basketball team. By the time the game started, if not charmed, she was at least impressed with Jude’s knowledge of the organization, despite the short period he’d worked for the Devils.

It didn’t hurt that she’d never liked Oscar, and so Jude’s estrangement from his father worked in his favor. It felt strange for Jude to be the only one sitting behind the team during the game, and after talking about his relationship with Oscar, he couldn’t help wondering what it might have been like if he’d grown up inside the organization, instead of on the outside looking in.

Despite their win, Jude was feeling maudlin when he boarded the bus for the ride to the plane. His spirits lifted when Zero dropped into the seat next to him.

“Hey, boss,” Zero said, and Jude felt a little thrill.

“Hey.”

Zero leaned closer and motioned for Jude to do the same, then whispered in his ear, “Ever joined the mile high club?”

Jude flushed, and Zero smirked.

~*~

The pattern they’d fallen into while they were fake dating continued. Zero still spent the evenings they were in LA at Jude’s apartment, the only difference being that he didn’t leave until morning. On the rare occasion they left the arena at the same time, Zero drove them both in his Porsche. (Jude had to admit that he enjoyed the way people’s heads turned when they rolled up to a stop light. Those people were probably admiring the car, but Jude like to think that they were noticing the two of them together.)

When they drove separately, the Porsche left Jude’s car in the dust the next morning, but Zero was always waiting for Jude when he pulled into the parking lot, leaning against the Porsche with a smile on his face when Jude angled into the spot next to him.

Jude couldn’t remember ever being this happy before. Which is why he should’ve known it was all going to fall apart.

Jude was headed to the gym on the lower level. With his new responsibility of helping Lionel win over the other owners, he had missed out on getting his cardio in. If he decided to go cycling tomorrow, he’d probably be out of breath before he made it a mile. Zero was scheduled for weight training during the day, but he’d agreed to meet Jude for a light workout to keep him company.

Jude imagined that Zero was going to hang off one of the machines and do stomach crunches until Jude was so distracted and aroused he’d agree to have sex in his office. Or heck, right there in the gym. Jude was smiling at that thought when he heard Zero’s voice. He grimaced when he realized they wouldn’t be alone, but it wasn’t like he could begrudge anyone else a late night workout.

He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but they weren’t keeping their voices low and eventually Jude stopped thinking about Zero and the words registered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jelena said.

“Okay,” Zero said, all infuriatingly reasonable. “If you want to play it that way. Jude’s meeting me here in a few minutes, why don’t we run it past him, see if he thinks it’s feasible.”

At the sound of his own name, Jude’s footsteps slowed, and then stopped. After a few seconds of silence that felt a lot longer, the voices resumed.

“What do they know?” Jelena said, resigned, pissed.

“They’ve heard rumors about a forced sale,” Zero said.

Jelena snorted. “Of course. That’s why Lionel has suddenly started glad handing all the other owners. What else?”

“That there’s already a potential buyer. But they don’t know who it is. Yet.”

“What do you want for your silence?” Jelena said.

Jude’s insides twisted and his brain went foggy. He wondered if he’d stepped into The Twilight Zone.

Zero said, “A favor. To be named later.”

“Granted,” Jelena said, though it sounded as if she could barely force the word out. “What about your boyfriend?” she said with a perverse pleasure.

Zero laughed derisively. “I don’t do relationships, Jelena. You should know that.”

Jude nearly doubled over, the words stealing his breath like a punch to the gut.

“Does Jude know that?” Jelena said.

“I hope not,” Zero said. “I’m not done with him yet.”

Jude’s heart split open. The sound of it was loud in his ears, but it appeared that no one else heard it crash onto the floor and splinter into a million pieces because both Jelena and Zero remained inside the gym.

“Speaking of, you should get going before he gets here.”

Jude, realizing that he would be spotted if Jelena exited the gym now, panicked. He turned and ran back down the hallway. He bypassed the elevator because it would take too long to call back down if it wasn’t still sitting there, and he couldn’t take the chance. As he sprinted up the stairs, Jude contemplated the irony of his relationship with Zero, fake from beginning to end, having started the same way it was now crashing and burning, with a meeting in the gym, and Jude running the stairs back to his office.

Jude stopped in his office just long enough to grab his keys, wallet, and phone. He was afraid he’d run into Jelena on his way out of the arena, but it was quiet, and he’d have thought the place was empty if he didn’t know better.

His cell rang, but Jude ignored the call when he saw Zero’s name on the screen. His heart was pounding in his ears and he couldn’t think. All he knew was that he had to get out of there. Jude got light-headed and his vision grayed out. He leaned against the car until he could get his lungs working again, and then he sank gratefully into the driver’s seat.

Jude’s hand shook as he inserted the key into the ignition. He turned the key and pulled out of his parking spot, and then out of the lot. The phone rang again. Zero. Jude declined the call. He pulled up Lionel’s contact and called her.

“Hey, Jude,” Lionel said. “What’s up?” She laughed as if she’d just made the funniest quip ever, and the sound of it in his ears while the jagged ends of Jude’s heart were tearing open his chest made tears burn behind his eyes.

“It’s Jelena,” Jude said.

“Who’s Jelena?”

“The buyer. And probably Terrence.”

“He’s still a player,” Lionel said angrily, then, “How do you know this? Jude?”

Jude had to swallow twice before he could speak to answer her. “I heard Jelena talking with Zero.”

“Oh, jesus fucking christ on a cracker,” Lionel said. “Jude . . . .”

But Jude didn’t want to hear Lionel tell him that she was sorry, that he deserved better, that Zero was a jerk anyway. He interrupted her and said, “I’m taking a day off. Make that two.”

Jude hadn’t realized he was going to say it until the words spilled out of his mouth. He wasn’t sure a week would be enough time to steel himself for seeing Zero again, and two days were two too many when they were in the middle of trying to salvage the organization before the League forced a sale, but word would be all over the arena by the time he returned, and he needed some time to lick his wounds in private.

“Jude,” Lionel said desperately. “You can’t take time off now, I need . . . .”

“You’ll have to deal with the owners, and Jelena, on your own for a couple of days,” Jude said. “I’ll call you later.”

The cell rang again the moment Jude disconnected his call with Lionel. Zero; no surprise there. This time Jude answered. “Hello.”

“Jude, Jesus,” Zero said with relief. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Jude said, his voice flat. “I couldn’t answer.”

“Okay,” Zero said, still sounding worried. “Where are you now? You were supposed to meet me in the gym.”

“Something came up,” Jude said.

“Something came up,” Zero repeated, sounding as if he was starting to realize that there was something off about Jude’s tone. “Jude, why don’t you tell me what’s going on.”

Jude hated the fact that Zero could sound so sincerely concerned about him, about them, when he was actually concerned over whether his blackmail of Jelena was going to bear fruit.

“You know what, you’re right, I should tell you,” Jude said. “I did go to the gym. Well, I didn’t actually make it all the way to the gym because I didn’t want to interrupt you and Jelena.”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

“You two seemed to be having such an . . . interesting conversation.”

“Jude,” Zero said, plaintive.

“No.”

“Let me explain.”

“I think it was all pretty self-explanatory,” Jude said.

“No, Jude, you don’t understand. Please, I’ll come over . . . .”

“I don’t want to see you,” Jude said. “But you should come over. You left a few things at my place. I’ll box them up for you. Leave the key.”

Jude’s voice cracked on that last bit. He ended the call before Zero could hear him break, and powered down the phone so he didn’t have to deal with any more calls.

~

Jude didn’t know where he was going to go, but he couldn’t stay in his apartment. Zero was coming over to get his things, and it was the first place Lionel would look for him. Jude threw some changes of clothes into a duffel, and then took a couple of minutes to box up the few things Zero had left in his apartment. It was a pitiful number of items given the number of nights he’d spent there.

Jude had always thought that Zero was being respectful of Jude’s space, cautious about moving too fast, but now he knew differently. Zero had left as little of himself in Jude’s apartment because it was just a reflection of how little of himself he was putting into their relationship. This wasn’t real; none of it had ever been real.

Jude left the box on the coffee table, then shouldered his duffel. He threw the bag in his car and started driving in the opposite direction Zero would be arriving from. He had no destination in mind, other than the need to be somewhere, anywhere, that wasn’t here. Jude stopped for gas and got on the 101 heading west when he saw signs for the next entrance ramp.

Before the Santa Monica Mountains Jude got on 405S and drove along the coast, following the signs for San Diego. He got on 5S. He passed the San Diego exits and kept driving. No one stopped him when he reached the border. Jude went past Tijuana and followed Highway 1-D south. He pulled over in Ensenada four hours after he’d left his apartment.

The sun wasn’t up yet, but it would be soon. Jude found a place where he could watch the sunrise. The beauty of it was lost on him. It was the dawn of a new day, but all that meant to Jude was the first day of his life without Zero.

Jude found a motel willing to take forty dollars in US currency for a room. He moved his car and carried in his duffel. Jude powered on his phone and listened to it ding with notification after notification from the bathroom. He didn’t check the call log, listen to the voice mails, or read the text messages, just deleted them all. He turned the cell back off and laid down on the mattress.

Jude woke ten hours later. In the moment before his brain went online, there was no pain, and then the memories hit. The only reason he got out of bed was because his bladder insisted on it. And he was hungry. He showered and dressed, wandered to a local restaurant and ordered takeout because he couldn’t bear to sit in a public place where people were having fun.

Jude ate, tried to watch tv, and then went back to sleep. In the morning before he left, he called Lionel.

“Where the hell are you?” Lionel said in lieu of ‘hello’. “I have been calling, and calling . . . .”

“I’m sorry I worried you,” Jude said. “I’m fine.” He wasn’t, but it’s what he needed everyone to believe. What _he_ needed to believe.

“Don’t hang up, Jude, please. Where are you?”

“Mexico,” Jude said.

“Jesus christ,” Lionel said. “He’s in Mexico.”

“Who’s there?”

“Listen, Jude, this is all my fault.”

“You didn’t make me fall in love with Zero,” Jude said.

There was a moment of silence while they both digested that.

“Jude . . . .”

“Seriously, Lionel, I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Jude disconnected the call, and then powered the phone off again. He drove back to LA and entered his apartment cautiously, but no one was waiting to ambush him. The box of Zero’s belongings was gone, and Jude’s key lay in its place. Jude left it there and walked into the bedroom to unpack.

He started a load of laundry and put together a bag for the dry cleaner. He cleaned out the refrigerator and picked up the place, sorting the magazines on the coffee table around the key. He took a shower and ordered takeout that he ate in front of the tv. He tried to stay away from the sports channels; he watched a comedy that wasn’t funny and a documentary that didn’t hold his attention.

In the end he couldn’t resist turning to Sports Now!. The Devils had played at home last night against New York and they were still talking about Zero missing easy shots and fouling out of the game. Jude changed the channel before he could read too much into it. He reminded himself that Zero had used the charity auction to get close to him, that he’d flirted like a champ, but that it had always been Jude who’d made the first move. Jude, who had invited Zero back to his place, who’d made the first move that night and the next by kissing him. Reminded himself of the times Zero had asked about Lionel, and the information Jude had given up so easily.

He turned off the tv and went to bed.

~*~

Lionel was already in her office, waiting for him, when Jude arrived.

“You ever pull a stupid stunt like that again, I’ll find you and kick your ass all the way back to LA, do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jude said, falling back on humor even though (or because) he could see how much he’d worried her.

“Don’t call me that,” Lionel said. “I hate when people call me that.”

Lionel pulled Jude into a hug, and then ordered him to sit when she released him. Jude took his usual spot on the couch; Lionel took the chair across from him.

“While you were gone I dug up some dirt on Jelena. I don’t think the League is going to find her offer to buy the team all that appealing anymore.”

“That’s great!” Jude said. “How did you manage that so fast. We just found out she . . . .” Jude’s voice cracked.

“I had some help,” Lionel said. “Zero.”

“Zero?” Jude said. “But . . . .”

Lionel held up a finger to silence Jude. “I’ll explain everything in a minute. The bad news is, the League is still considering the forced sale. The good news is, without a buyer, we’ve got more time to spin a more positive image for the Devils, and to turn more of the owners to our side.”

The office door opened and Lionel looked both relieved and guilty for just a moment before she schooled her expression. “Good,” she said briskly, “you’re here.”

Jude turned his head, expecting to see Rhonda. The sight of Zero hit Jude like a punch to the gut. He tried to move, tried to speak, but none of his muscles wanted to work, and his vocal chords were frozen. Zero came around the couch and seated himself on the opposite end to Jude.

“Stay,” Lionel commanded, as if she thought Jude could do anything else. “I owe you both an apology,” she went on, and Jude could tell by the way her lips twisted that the words didn’t come easily to her.

Jude glanced at Zero, then quickly away when he saw that Zero was looking back, his gaze moving over Jude like Zero was starving and Jude was the first bite of food he’d been offered in days. Jude couldn’t rest his gaze on Zero any longer, because the dark circles under his eyes, and the mix of anger and worry and relief in them, tugged at Jude.

“I asked for Zero’s help in ferreting out the potential buyer,” Lionel said.

It took Jude a moment for her words to penetrate the haze that had fallen over him at his first glimpse of Zero since . . . that night. “Wait, what?”

“Zero was working for me when he approached Jelena,” Lionel said.

“When did you set this up?” Jude said.

“Just that morning,” Lionel said.

“The phone call,” Jude mused. He looked at Zero. “You told me the meeting with Lionel was nothing.” Jude suddenly felt cold at the thought that both Lionel and Zero had hidden this from him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Zero opened his mouth to answer, then facetiously waved for Lionel to answer when she butted in.

“I asked Zero to let me be the one to tell you,” Lionel said.

“Why?” Jude said. “When?”

“I didn’t know things were going to happen so quickly,” Lionel said. “I knew you wouldn’t approve, so I . . . put it off. I’m sorry,” Lionel said at Jude’s look. “I tried to tell you, but you kept hanging up on me and erasing my messages.”

“Are you actually blaming me for this?” Jude said, the words almost bringing him out of his seat.

“No!” Lionel said. She took a breath, then said, “No. I’m sorry I made it sound that way. It’s my fault. Completely.” Lionel took Jude’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, and I’m sorry you were hurt by my . . . .”

“Cowardice?” Zero said.

Lionel glared at him, then looked back at Jude. “By my actions.” She gave a humorless laugh. “I didn’t want you to be mad at me.”

“But you did it anyway.”

“Yes,” Lionel said. “We needed . . . _I_ needed Zero’s help.”

“You should’ve talked to me about it before you asked him,” Jude said.

“Zero’s a big boy,” Lionel said. “He didn’t have to say ‘yes’.”

“Not if you said, ‘Jude needs you now, Zero, step up to the plate for Jude’.” Jude could tell by her expression that she’d done something very much like that. “But that’s not even the issue here. You should’ve talked to me because I should’ve been part of the decision.” Jude spread his arms. “This place? It’s me, too.”

Lionel slumped, the defensiveness she’d worn like a shield evaporating. “You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring you in on it.”

Jude studied her face. He believed that she was being sincere, but he couldn’t forgive her, not yet, not when he’d spent two days in a very bad place because of it. He nodded his acceptance of her apology, though, and then glanced at Zero before looking back at Lionel. “Can we have a minute?”

“Of course,” Lionel said. She squeezed Jude’s hand before releasing it, and touched Zero’s shoulder as she rounded the couch.

Jude waited until the door closed behind Lionel to speak. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, stared at his hands. “You’ve been quiet.”

Jude saw Zero’s shrug from the corner of his eyes. “Lionel got us into this mess, I figured I’d let her get us out.”

Jude gave him a look.

“Or drown trying,” Zero added.

Jude almost smiled. “That I can believe.”

“I wasn’t quiet before, though,” Zero said, letting some of his anger show. “On the voice mails you deleted without listening to.”

Jude swallowed hard. “Yeah, sorry.” His voice cracked. “Sorry I believed the worst and ran off without giving you a chance to explain.”

“Me, too,” Zero said. “I was worried about you. Thought you might do something stupid.”

Jude snorted. “I drove to Mexico.”

“Stupid _er_.”

Jude leaned back and looked at Zero. “You stopped by to pick up your stuff.”

“You asked me to,” Zero said, and it sounded like an accusation.

“Yeah.”

“Are we okay?” Zero said.

Jude shook his head. He wanted to say ‘yes’, but he couldn’t. “I don’t know.” He changed the subject. “How did you know it was Jelena?”

There was a moment when Zero looked gutted by Jude’s words, then it was gone. He shrugged. “I didn’t. I had no idea she’d be in the gym, but it seemed fortuitous, you know? So I cast my line expecting to come up empty.” He made a sound of surprise. “But I caught the big one.”

Jude laughed, but it was more an attempt to keep breathing. “Yeah. Good job.”

“Those things you heard me say . . . .” The words were spoken slowly, Zero’s tone cautious.

Jude’s insides went cold and he wanted to plug his ears as if that would keep him from hearing them again inside his head.

“I didn’t mean any of them.” He reached out and briefly touched his knuckles to Jude’s arm. “Not when it comes to you.”

Jude nodded, acknowledging the words. He tried to say, I know, but the words stuck in his throat. He’d been hearing those things on a loop in his head for the past two days. _I don’t do relationships. I’m not done with him yet. I don’t do relationships. I’m not done with him yet._

The situation had taken an abrupt 180 this morning, seemingly righting itself, but after the sudden 180 the other night, Jude’s head was still spinning from the back and forth. He desperately wanted things to go back to the way they’d been before, but he was still an open wound, raw and vulnerable, and he wasn’t sure things would ever be the same.

“I believed them,” Jude said. “The things you told Jelena. I believed you meant them.” He gave a self-deprecating huff. “I think that says more about me than it does about you. I need some time. To deal with . . . me, I guess.”

Zero turned away for a moment, but when he looked back at Jude, it was with determination. “I’ll give you time, if that’s what you need,” he said. “To sort things out. But I want you to remember two things while you’re doing that.”

“Okay,” Jude said.

Zero slid across the couch until he was sitting right next to Jude, their hips touching. He reached for Jude, moving slowly, telegraphing his intent. Jude’s heart pounded and his throat went dry. He let Zero grip his arms, let him slide one hand up to cradle the back of his head, let him lean in and kiss him, let him draw a moan out of him and coax his mouth open, let his own hands find purchase on Zero as he invited him to deepen the kiss.

When Zero pulled back, Jude was flushed and breathless. Zero looked at him as if he wanted to memorize the way Jude looked in that moment. “Remember that,” he finally said. “Remember how good we are together, inside the bedroom and out of it.”

Zero pulled away from Jude, but Jude could see the effort it took. Zero was on his feet and moving towards the door before Jude could finally make himself speak. “Wha-what’s the second thing?”

Zero, hand on the door handle, turned back to look at Jude. “When I do finally let myself take something I want, I don’t give it up easily.”

Jude couldn’t breathe until Zero was gone, the door closed between them. “Fuck,” he said, drawing the word out, reaching down to adjust himself in his pants. He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, as if the darkness behind them would hide everything he still had to deal with.

A few moments later the door opened behind him and Jude jerked guiltily, as if he’d been doing something wrong.

“I saw Zero leave,” Lionel said. “How’d it go?”

“I’m not sure,” Jude said honestly.

Lionel rounded the couch and studied Jude. She had to know that he’d just been thoroughly kissed, but all she said was, “He really did want me to tell you immediately. He said he wasn’t going to do it if you didn’t agree.” Lionel huffed a humorless laugh. “And then opportunity struck.”

“He didn’t tell me that,” Jude said, frowning. Zero hadn’t really said anything that would let him off the hook with Jude.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure that was more for your benefit than mine,” Lionel said. She sat on the couch beside Jude and watched him. “Are you two still together?”

“I don’t know,” Jude said. “I believed the worst of him. It was . . . so hard for me to believe that he wanted more than a fake relationship. But it was so damned easy to believe that it was all a lie. How do I apologize for that? How can he forgive me? How do I trust that I’m ever making the right decision?”

“He cares about you,” Lionel said.

“How do you know?” Jude said plaintively.

“Because I know these things. I wouldn’t have set up this whole thing if I hadn’t seen the way you both looked at each other.”

“You couldn’t possibly know this was going to happen,” Jude scoffed.

“Hell, no,” Lionel said. “I just handed you the opportunity on a silver platter. Zero, though, he was impressive. He took it and ran with it. You really didn’t stand a chance, sweetie. He lassoed you that first day and gentled you like a wild mustang.”

“That’s . . . not what happened,” Jude said, blushing.

“He didn’t even balk at the idea that we were bidding on him so he didn’t cause another PR nightmare. And then he came up with the whole ‘we need to date to make it look good’ thing? He’s even more brilliant than I thought,” Lionel said appreciatively.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Lionel patted Jude’s hand. “You just don’t see these things, even when they’re right in front of you. I had to point out that Lucas was flirting with you, remember?”

Jude snorted. “Yeah, and look how that turned out.”

“What do you mean?” Lionel demanded. “You told me things just didn’t work out.”

Jude remembered their first (and only) date, and the morning after when Jude had asked Lucas if he wanted to get together again. “They didn’t,” he told Lionel. “I believe the words ‘needy’ and ‘neurotic’ were used.”

“That butt-faced bastard!” Lionel exploded. “Dick wipe!”

Jude started laughing. “Butt-faced?”

“I am going to take great pleasure in kicking Lucas in the balls the next time I see him.” Lionel said in a steely tone.

It wasn’t an empty threat, Jude knew, and he wondered if it made him a bad person that he felt immeasurably better hearing it.


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest thanks to everyone who's commented on this story or clicked the kudos button. I appreciate the warm welcome you've shown a Zude newbie. <3

Doris was ready with a cup of coffee when Jude walked down the hall to his office. “Thank you, Doris,” Jude said as he took the cup from her. “I’m sorry for not giving you notice that I was going to be gone for a couple of days.”

“It wasn’t a problem, sir,” Doris said. “Mrs. Kinkade let me know. I reschedule your appointments for you.”

“Thank you.” Jude held the keycard under the lock to his office. “I suppose we have a stack of files to go over.” He glanced back over his shoulder to see that Doris already had said stack of folders in her arms. “Let’s get to it then.”

It felt good to have enough work to keep his mind occupied and off of other things. That couldn’t last forever, though.

The game that night was awkward. Jude had to look at Jelena with as much disinterest as he ever had, pretending that he didn’t know she was the potential buyer, that he hadn’t overheard the things Zero told her in order to gain her trust, that hearing them hadn’t felt like walking barefoot over broken glass.

Jude had to pretend that things were okay between him and Zero, when he didn’t know what they were. He felt sick to his stomach when he remembered that night, but his gaze sought out Zero wherever he was on the court, and his heart raced when Zero caught his eyes and gave him a look that reminded Jude of the kiss they’d shared that morning, and the promise Zero had made.

After the game, which had been close right up until the closing seconds when Zero had played a huge part in breaking it open, Jude stood on the sidelines, hands in his pockets as he watched the pandemonium on the court as players congratulated each other, and reporters with microphones and cameras in tow jockeyed for the best post-game interviews.

Jude tried not to stare, but he always knew where Zero was standing at any given time. Knew when he waved off the last reporter and started across the court to where Jude stood. Jude let himself look then, but only because it would’ve been weird if he hadn’t. He drank in the sight of Zero, sweaty and smiling, as if he hadn’t seen him for years rather than hours.

“Hey,” Zero said, the smile he aimed at Jude real and warm.

“Hey,” Jude replied, his throat tight around the word. “Good game.” It sounded stilted, but with each word it was easier to speak.

Zero raised his eyebrows. “Good?”

Jude’s lips twitched involuntarily. “Fantastic?”

“Better,” Zero said. He glanced past Jude. “Gotta go.”

Jude turned his head to see that Pete was calling the stragglers down to the locker room.

“Listen,” Zero said, and when Jude turned back he’d moved closer. “Meet me in the locker room later?”

Jude couldn’t speak – Zero was standing too close and he could feel the heat radiating off him, smell the spicy, woodsy scent of his aftershave, see the drop of sweat rolling down his temple. He nodded. Zero touched his hand to Jude’s lower back, leaned in as if he was going to kiss him. He stopped before their lips touched, so close that Jude could see the flecks of gray in the blue of his eyes, feel his breath against his lips.

Zero licked his lips, and then, with some effort, drew back. “See you later,” he said.

Jude felt frozen. His eyes followed Zero’s departure, but he couldn’t move from the spot. Lionel stepped up next to him, joined him in watching Zero leave the court.

“What was that all about?”

Only when Zero disappeared down the tunnel to the locker room was Jude able to drag his eyes away from the last spot he’d seen Zero and onto Lionel. “What?”

Lionel shook her head. “You two need to get a room and let nature figure this shit out.”

Jude’s cheeks burned. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Come on,” Lionel said, almost gently. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Instead of the Playground, they ended up in Lionel’s office. She poured two fingers of Oscar’s finest scotch into two tumblers. She joined Jude in the sitting area, and, after tapping the rims of their glasses together, they both drank. Jude wanted to drain the glass, but he made himself sip. Lionel waited until he’d finished half the scotch before speaking.

“I’m not going to tell you what to do . . . .”

Jude snorted. Luckily it was between sips, so none of the scotch was wasted.

Lionel gave Jude a look, then continued. “But I am going to give you some advice. Don’t make the decision that’ll make you the most miserable just because you don’t think you deserve to be happy.”

“I don’t feel that way,” Jude protested.

Lionel’s silence was her only response.

When they finished the scotch, Lionel went to make an appearance at the Playground. Jude may have implied that he was going to grab his briefcase out of his office, then waited for the elevator doors to close before he headed for the stairwell and descended to the lower level.

There were voices inside when Jude approached the locker room. He was better prepared this time when he heard Jelena’s voice.

“That wasn’t me,” Zero protested.

“We had a deal,” Jelena said.

“We _still_ have a deal,” Zero said.

“Over my dead body,” Jelena snarled.

Her perfect exit was ruined when she did a double take upon seeing Jude waiting in the corridor, leaning his shoulders against the wall, hands stuffed into the front pockets of his slacks. Jelena’s expression quickly went from stunned and guilty to vicious.

“How does it feel to know your boyfriend betrayed you?”

“Who says he did?” Jude said calmly.

“He knew I was trying to buy the Devils; he made a deal with me for his silence.”

“Sounds to me like you think he betrayed you.”

“This isn’t over,” Jelena threatened before turning and storming off.

It was both over the top and not enough, which meant that Jelena _had_ felt betrayed, which further meant that she didn’t have things nailed down quite as tightly as she’d thought. That was a chink Jude could take advantage of. “I could make it easier,” he said, keeping his tone conversational.

Despite herself, Jelena stopped and turned back to look at Jude.

“You think Zero went to Lionel,” Jude continued. “He didn’t.” Jude let the silence draw out. “He came to me.” Jude shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Told you I was playing the game, too.”

“You dug up that dirt,” Jelena said, irritation mixing with admiration.

Jude tried not to let the fact that she’d thought he wasn’t worth worrying about bother him. He didn’t say anything, just let Jelena draw her own conclusions.

“Why would you want to make it easier?” Jelena finally said.

“Because I want to make a deal, too.”

Jelena scoffed. “Now you’re playing me. And doing a piss poor job of it.”

“You know the last thing Oscar said to me? I don’t have a son.” Even now, months later, the memory still hurt, but Jude pushed past it. The truth of it, the pain, would make the charade more believable. “I couldn’t even get a toe in the door here while he was running the place.”

“And now you’re EVP,” Jelena said caustically.

“Of Business Operations,” Jude said. “That’s not where I want to be. And as much as I love Lionel, her position here is precarious; she’s still a degree too close to Oscar for my comfort. If he got out . . . well, he’d be back in control, and then _I’d_ be out.”

Jelena crossed her arms over her chest and studied Jude. “Okay, I’ll bite. Hypothetically, how do you plan to make it easier?”

“That dirt Lionel let it slip she has on you so you’d back off? I can make it disappear.”

Jelena considered that. Her eyes darted to Jude’s right, where Zero had come to the doorway and now stood with one shoulder leaning against the doorframe. “What about Lionel? She’ll just keep trying to dig up more dirt on me, with or without your help.”

“Lionel’s off limits,” Jude said. “But she’s got something on Oscar we could use. And I know where she’d hidden it.”

“What is it?” Jelena said, her interest definitely piqued.

“I don’t know,” Jude said. “She wouldn’t tell me. But it’s the reason he married her, why she’s in control of all of this now. The owners find out about it, none of the ‘glad handing’ Lionel’s doing will mean a thing.”

Jelena thought about that. “I’ll consider it. What do you want in return?”

“General Manager,” Jude said. “Unless you already have someone else in mind?”

“No.” Jelena didn’t even blink at the lie. “But what about Mike Harlan?” she said.

“He’s set to retire in two years. Assistant GM until he does, and then I slide right into the position. Plus Zero’s deal, of course.”

Jelena looked like she’d swallowed something bitter. “Now’s later,” she told Zero.

“A long-term contract and you trade Derek,” Zero said.

Jelena huffed a humorless laugh. “Why would we get rid of Derek and keep you?”

Jude’s heart sped up, but Jelena didn’t even notice the slip.

“Because you want the Devils,” Zero said.

Jelena looked the two of them over as if they were dog crap on the bottom of her Louis Vuittons. “You two deserve each other,” she said before turning sharply on her heel and walking away from them.

“That wasn’t a no!” Zero called after her.

Jelena’s reply was to hold one finger up in the air and keep walking.

Zero chuckled, and then he turned the full impact of his gaze onto Jude, who was watching Jelena walk away to make sure she didn’t come back. When he felt certain about Jelena, Jude turned his head to look at Zero. “What?” he said, hoping his discomfort at being under such close scrutiny didn’t show.

“That was hot,” Zero said.

Jude blushed. “Yeah, well, I’m not just a pretty face.”

“But you do have a pretty face.”

Before Jude could guess his intent, Zero reached out to grab Jude’s arm and drag him into the locker room. Zero pushed him against the end of the lockers and kissed him. Heat erupted inside Jude. He clutched at Zero’s arms, as if the surface behind his back wasn’t enough to keep him from sliding to the floor, and kissed him back.

Zero got a hand between them and Jude moaned as he pushed into it. Zero pressed frantic kisses along Jude’s jaw and closed his teeth on the tendon in his neck. “God, I missed you,” Zero said, breath hot even against Jude’s already overheated skin.

“I was only gone two days,” Jude gasped, but it was an unwelcome reminder of what had happened, of the fact that things weren’t yet settled between them.

“It felt like so much longer,” Zero said. “Like it would be forever.”

Jude knew he should push Zero away, but he was lost in the pleasure of Zero’s touch and how damn much he wanted it, that his brain was aswirl and refused to produce a coherent thought. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” Jude said weakly, even as he seized onto Zero’s shoulders and let him take him apart.

“We should absolutely be doing this,” Zero growled.

The sound went directly to Jude’s groin and made him even more reluctant to stop what they were doing. And then he caught sight of the open door, where anyone could have stumbled upon them; Jelena, or a reporter. It was the splash of cold water he needed. “Stop.”

Zero groaned into Jude’s neck, which made him shiver, but he stopped, his face buried in Jude’s shoulder, his hand frozen in place on the front of Jude’s slacks. Jude flexed his fingers, then forced himself to push.

Zero stepped back, and Jude could barely bring himself to look at him – he looked as wrecked as Jude felt. Zero looked like he wanted to argue. Instead he pushed both hands over his head in frustration, and then clasped them together behind his head as if he didn’t trust himself not to touch, and just stared at Jude.

It took all of Jude’s strength to push himself away from the support provided by the lockers and move towards the door. He paused, took a deep breath, and then reach out and pushed the door closed, locked it. There was no sound behind him, as if Zero was afraid that the slightest noise might crack this moment open like an hourglass spilling its sand out onto the ground.

Jude turned back around to face Zero. He leaned against the door, in part because his knees were threatening to send him to the floor. He reached up and tugged at the knot at his throat. Zero still stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what was happening, but at the pull on Jude’s tie, Zero sprang into motion.

Zero grabbed Jude’s wrists and raised them above his head, pinned them to the door. He crushed their mouths together and got a knee between Jude’s legs. Jude groaned into the hard kiss, and rocked his hips to meet Zero’s thrusts. He couldn’t hold back a soft moan of protest when Zero pulled away.

When Jude tried to lower his arms, Zero pressed them harder against the door. “Don’t move,” he growled.

“Fuck,” Jude groaned.

Zero stepped back and Jude was at least glad to see that it was as much an effort for him as it was for Jude to stay put. Zero ran his eyes over Jude, and Jude wondered what he saw. Did he look as flushed, and disheveled, and desperate as he felt?

With his eyes locked onto Jude’s, Zero reached for the waistband of Jude’s slacks. Jude made a sound that put a self-satisfied look on Zero’s face. He pressed his hands to the door, the wood cool against the back of them, and dug his teeth into his bottom lip until it stung to keep another sound from escaping when Zero went to his knees and took Jude’s slacks with him.

~*~

Jude could barely look Zero in the eyes the next day, which is why Zero took perverse pleasure in catching his eyes. Especially when he and Lionel were in the locker room for Lionel’s usual pre-game speech, which she’d started doing for home games, as well as away.

Earlier, Jude had met with Raquel, to go over the charity auction, which was coming up in less than a week now. When he stepped out of the Playground, Jelena was waiting for him in the foyer outside the elevator.

“I suppose you’re going to bid on Zero,” she said, showing that she knew what his meeting had been about.

Even though he’d been blindsided by the question, Jude refused to let her bait him. He raised his eyebrows. “Unless you wanted to,” he responded automatically, not thinking about the significance of his words.

“Not in this lifetime,” Jelena said. “I agree.”

“About what?” Jude said, confused by the abrupt change of subject.

Jelena gave him a ‘could you be more stupid’ look.

“Oh! Oh. Good,” Jude said, though his insides were still twisted up over his sudden realization (re-realization?) that he was supposed to bid on Zero at the auction. “How do we . . . ?”

“You first,” Jelena interrupted. “As a show of good faith. Bury that dirt so deep no one else will ever find it. And then we’ll ruin Oscar so bad that even Lionel will be taken down by it.”

Jelena pulled open the door to the Playground and left Jude standing alone in the foyer. His brain was whirling with thoughts of Zero and the auction as he made his way to Lionel’s office. He made sure the door was closed behind him, and then he locked it for good measure. When he turned around, Lionel was regarding him from behind the desk, staring at him like he might have gone mad.

Jude waited until he was seated to say, “Something happened with Jelena last night that I forgot to tell you.”

Jude told Lionel the story, and watched her go from concern to surprise to pissed to thoughtful. “How could you ‘forget to mention’ that you made a deal with Jelena?” she said when he was done.

“Fake deal,” Jude corrected.

Lionel gave him a look.

“Because I had sex with Zero in the locker room last night and that’s been pretty much all I could think about until Jelena just ambushed me outside the Playground,” Jude said, surprising even himself with the admission.

Lionel’s eyes went wide and she screeched. She covered her mouth and screamed into her hands while she stomped her feet like she was at a rodeo. “Oh my god,” Lionel said when she’d composed herself. “When I told you to get a room, I didn’t expect it to be that one.”

Jude rolled his eyes.

“So what’s the problem?” Lionel said, perceptive as always.

“I don’t know what to do,” Jude whined.

“Apparently you’re already doing him,” Lionel said, then grinned at the look Jude gave her. “He’s crazy about you, and you’re crazy about him. He’s got your back, you’ve got his. And apparently the sex is great. What’s the problem?” she repeated.

“I’m the problem,” Jude said. “I’m needy and neurotic.”

“And also pathetic,” Lionel said, then sighed. “You’re _not_ needy and neurotic. No more than the rest of us, anyway. And so what if you are? Zero doesn’t seem to mind who you are.”

“He says he likes me needy,” Jude said, then blushed.

Lionel gave a delighted laugh and leaned forward. “Tell me more.”

“Oh, look at the time,” Jude said without actually checking the time. “I’ve got a meeting with . . . someone, I’m sure.”

Lionel’s laughter followed him all the way down the hallway to his office.

~

Later that morning, Lionel unceremoniously appeared in Jude’s office and closed the door. She took one of the chairs across from Jude as if it were her throne (the chair Jude had begun to think of as Jelena’s because Zero still refused to sit in it), and said, “I’ve buried the information so deep Jelena will think it’s gone.”

Jude stared at her for a moment, then huffed a humorless laugh.

“What?”

“I never thought further than trying to get her to trust me. I didn’t think about how I’d follow through.”

“Of course you didn’t, sweetie,” Lionel said. “You’re a man, and right now you’re doing most of your thinking with your little brain.”

“Hey,” Jude said weakly, “that’s . . . .”

“Untrue?” Lionel said with a challenge in her eyes.

“Insulting,” Jude said. “And sexual harassment. Probably.”

“But true.”

Jude ignored that. “What do we do next?”

“You let Jelena know, so she thinks you’re playing ball. Once you’ve passed this test, see if you can get her to admit who her partners are. She’s not doing this alone.”

Jude rose from his seat behind the desk and walked Lionel to the door. Just before he opened it for her, she touched his arm. “Jude. Be careful with her. Cornered animals are dangerous.”

“I will be,” Jude promised.

Jude stood beside Doris’ desk and watched Lionel leave. When she was gone, he looked at Doris, who nodded her head in understanding. Minutes later Jelena strode into Jude’s office without knocking. Jude looked up from his laptop and frowned.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed when he recognized her, looking behind her as if he was afraid someone had seen her enter his office.

“Relax,” Jelena said dismissively. “I was careful. What did Lionel want?”

Jelena didn’t sit down this time, just stood in front of Jude’s desk, her hands on her hips, a glower on her face. Jude leaned back in his chair and smiled. He hoped it looked satisfied rather than nervous. “She needed to rant,” Jude said. “It seems that the dirt she thought she had on you has suddenly vanished into thin air. Almost like it never existed.”

Jelena smiled. It wasn’t a nice one. “Good. Now we bury Oscar.”

Jude shook his head, earning him a frown. “You first. I’ve shown you my good faith, now it’s your turn.”

Jelena looked annoyed with him, frustrated at the delay to her plans, but she said, “What do you want?”

“I want to meet your partner, or partners.”

Jelena opened her mouth to deny it, but Jude went on before she could speak. “I know you’re not doing this alone. You’ve got the brains, but you don’t have the money, or the connections.”

When Jelena still didn’t look convinced, Jude said, “Look, I’m burning my bridges here, with Lionel and with Oscar. I want to know who I’m getting into bed with.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you got into bed with Zero,” Jelena said with a sneer.

“Oh, I did,” Jude said, trying to look like a man very satisfied with his choices.

“My . . . partners want to remain invisible right now, but I’ll see what I can do,” Jelena finally said.

Jude followed her out, more to make sure that she really left than for the sake of politeness. He gave Doris another look before returning to his office. This time the look she gave him in return was understanding, even commiserating.

~*~

Jude stood staring out the window when the door opened again. He turned his head, expecting to see Doris. He had to lean against the sill for support when he saw Zero instead. Jude’s skin went hot and his tongue got tangled up in itself when the image of what they’d done the night before in the locker room flashed behind his eyes, skipping and jerking like an old movie.

“Are you alright?” Zero said as he closed the door firmly behind himself.

“What?” Jude said, pulled rudely (thankfully) out of the moving picture in his head. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, finally noticing that the expression on Zero’s face wasn’t teasing at all, but concerned.

“Doris said you needed me,” Zero said, crossing the office to Jude’s side.

“Doris called you?” Jude said, more surprised at that than anything else that had transpired in the last hour.

“What happened?” Zero said, ignoring Jude’s question for the rhetorical one it was.

“Jelena was just here.”

Zero’s gaze ran over Jude as if he were looking for signs of a physical altercation. Jude huffed a laugh. “You don’t think I could take her?”

“She fights dirty.”

“Yeah,” Jude said, then told Zero what had occurred that morning, leaving out the bit where he’d told Lionel about them.

“Terrence,” Zero said. At Jude’s look he said, “It’s got to be.”

“That’s what Lionel said. But he’s still a player,” Jude argued.

“Hence the reason he’d like to remain behind the scenes for now.”

Jude made a grimace of agreement. It made sense. He leaned into Zero’s hand when it settled on his shoulder.

“What can I do?”

Jude shook his head, intending to put on his big girl panties, as Lionel had once said, but instead of denying that he needed anything, he said, “I could use a hug.”

Jude was immediately wrapped up in Zero’s arms. He held himself stiff for a moment, and then relaxed into it. Zero still wore his practice uniform and Jude knew he’d smell him on his suit for the rest of the day. Jude slipped his arms around Zero and let Zero take his weight.

“Did you come straight from practice?” Jude said.

“I _left_ practice,” Zero said.

Jude groaned. “I hope Pete doesn’t think I called you out of practice for a booty call.”

“You mean you didn’t?” Zero teased, and Jude felt himself blush as he realized just how closely he was pressed to Zero, the scent of him permeating the thoughts of Jelena that had been clouding his brain.

“No,” Jude said, but it was breathless and not very forceful.

“Bet I could change your mind,” Zero said, touching his lips to Jude’s neck just below his ear.

“That’s a sucker bet,” Jude said, not realizing, or maybe not caring, how much he gave away with it.

Zero drew back enough to study Jude’s face, and then he leaned back in and kissed him. Jude let himself be kissed for a moment, just enjoying being the recipient of all that passion, before he kissed Zero back. When Zero pulled back, there was no hiding just how thoroughly they’d both been kissed.

“I should go,” Zero said reluctantly.

“Yeah,” Jude said just as grudgingly.

“Unless you wanted to make use of that desk,” Zero said.

Blushing, Jude pushed Zero away.

“See you at the game,” Zero said. He left Jude standing there and headed for the door, where he paused. “Meet me in the locker room after?” he said, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

“Not on your life,” Jude said, heat rushing through him as if he stood next to a furnace. He smiled to himself as the sound of Zero’s laughter rang in his ears long after he’d gone.

~

And now they were in the locker room before the game, a new tradition Jude had conveniently not thought about all day until Lionel took great pleasure in reminding him and denying his request to be excused that night. Jude was doing his best to avoid Zero’s gaze, but he felt it on him and couldn’t hide how flustered it made him.

On the way out of the locker room, Lionel paused and reached out to touch the end of the row of lockers where Zero had first kissed Jude. She gave him a questioning look that no one in the room would understand, except Zero, and then swept out. Jude couldn’t resist a look over his shoulder to find Zero staring at him, arms crossed over his chest, a speculative look in his eyes.

Zero raised his eyebrows at Jude, and he read the silent, _you told her?_ Jude blushed and rushed out after Lionel. He didn’t have time to give her a piece of his mind before they were surrounded by the several board members she’d invited to sit with them.

The Devils lost handily that night. Jude could only imagine what the atmosphere in the locker room was like after the carnage on the court. He waited outside the doors for Zero, who did a double take when he saw Jude standing there.

Zero plastered on a fake smirk. “Change your mind?”

Jude ignored the bravado and held out his hand. Zero stared at it for a moment before reaching out to take it.

“Come to my place?” Jude said, ignoring the giant butterflies in his stomach.

Zero looked down. “I won’t be very good company tonight.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“I’ll have to leave early to catch the bus.”

“That’s okay,” Jude said. When Zero was silent a moment too long, Jude started to backtrack. “You don’t have to if you don’t . . . .”

Zero squeezed Jude’s hand to stop him. “Are you sure?”

Jude gave Zero’s hand a tug. “Come on.”

They didn’t have sex, they didn’t even kiss, but when they sat on the couch to watch a movie (by silent accord they stayed away from the sports channels), Jude sat first, and Zero took the spot in front of him. Jude held Zero, pressed the occasional kiss to the side of his head, and even dressed for bed in undershirts and boxers, there was nothing sexual about it. Jude offered silent comfort, and Zero accepted it.

They woke late in the morning and rushed to get dressed. Zero missed the bus, so he had to drive to the airfield to meet the plane. The only thing going their way was that he’d stopped at his place the night before to pack his bags. At the airfield he handed Jude the keys, and then got his bags out.

Jude got out to walk around the car and Zero met him to give him a goodbye kiss. “See you later,” he said, and then headed towards the plane.

Jude ducked his head. Anyone paying attention had to guess that they’d both just rolled out of bed to make it there in the nick of time. He looked at the keys in his hand and his stomach tied itself all up in knots. He didn’t know if it was because he got to drive the Porsche, or because Zero had trusted him with it.

Later, when he was showered and properly dressed for the day, Jude pulled the Porsche into the arena parking lot. Jelena was there when he walked up the steps to the main entrance.

“He’s letting you drive his car now?” she said dryly. “Must be serious.”

Jude shrugged. “It’s safer here than parked on the street outside my apartment all day.”

Jelena studied Jude as if she could see into his brain if she just tried hard enough. “You really like him, don’t you?” She shook her head. “What do you see in him?”

Jude was going to ignore her, figuring it was a rhetorical question anyway, but he stopped with his hand on the door handle. He turned his head and gave Jelena a pitying look. “Beneath the surface,” he said, and then kept walking.

~

They had two away games with an unusual day off scheduled between them. Jude didn’t see Zero again that day until the locker room before the game. Most of the players had begun to appreciate Lionel’s personal attention. Jude made note of those who didn’t, and their closeness to Derek or Terrence.

While Lionel was speaking with Pete after her rousing ‘go get ‘em’ speech, Jude moved over to where Zero stood. “What time’s your plane leave tonight?” Jude said.

Zero gave Jude a look. He was aware that Jude already knew that information because Jude scheduled the flights and booked the rooms. (Rather, he had people who did that, but he oversaw everything rather closely. It was good management, not obsessive.)

“We’re spending the night and flying out in the morning,” Zero said, frowning.

“Hmm,” Jude said, and then wandered off to meet Lionel, leaving Zero to wonder about that exchange.

After the game, a win that had the locker room in smiles, Jude reached out to shake Zero’s hand. With a quizzical expression, Zero took Jude’s hand and palmed the keycard. His expression cleared and a smirk creased his face. It was a wonder to Jude how something could be so infuriating, and still a turn on.

“You aren’t suggesting I miss curfew, are you, boss?” Zero said.

Jude gave a nonchalant shrug. “You shouldn’t miss curfew. But if the pressure’s too much . . . .”

Lionel caught Jude’s eye and he waved to let her know he’d seen her. To Zero he said, “See you later,” and somehow managed to make it sound like a challenge.

“Oh, you’ll fucking see me later,” Zero promised in a low voice as Jude walked away.

Jude had to bite his lip to keep from grinning. From the looks he got, he didn’t think he was being as subtle as he’d hoped.

~*~

Zero was already waiting in Jude’s room when he got there. He reclined on the king-sized mattress with the tv on low, a bottle of beer from room service in his hand. He watched Jude with hooded eyes, and even though he’d been the one to set this whole thing up, Jude felt like the fly to Zero’s spider.

Zero turned off the tv and set the remote on the night stand. He took a sip of beer and set the bottle aside, as well. Jude swallowed hard, a shiver of anticipation sliding down his spine as Zero slid off the bed and crossed the room, which suddenly felt very small, towards him. Zero had taken his suit jacket off and his stocking feet padded soundlessly across the thin carpet. Jude couldn’t tear his eyes away from the bare skin in the ‘v’ of his open collar as Zero moved in on him.

Instead of a kiss, Zero helped Jude remove his suit jacket. “What took you so long?” he said as he carefully folded Jude’s jacket and lay it over the back of the chair, conscious of Jude’s idiosyncrasies.

“Lionel had set up drinks with Hal and his daughter,” Jude said as he tugged on the knot of his tie.

“She didn’t tell you?” Zero batted Jude’s hand away and took over.

Jude looked over Zero’s shoulder. “She claims she did. My mind must’ve been elsewhere.”

“Mmm,” Zero said, slipping the tie from around Jude’s neck. He lay it over the jacket. “Wait, here, right?”

“No,” Jude said dryly. “With Jelena and Terrence. Yes, here.”

Jude let Zero lift his wrist and slip the button on the cuff, then the other. Zero bent his head to the task, but Jude could still see the corners of his lips curve up. Jude slipped his now free hand around Zero’s neck and leaned in to kiss the corner of his jaw.

“It would go faster if you’d let me do it,” Jude said softly.

“I don’t want it to go faster,” Zero said, releasing the button at Jude’s throat and moving down the front of the shirt.

“Not worried about missing curfew?” Jude teased, though his throat had gone dry at the intent look on Zero’s face, the soft brush of knuckles against his chest.

“The last time was . . . .”

“Frantic?” Jude supplied.

“And damned good,” Zero said, “don’t get me wrong. But tonight I want to take my time.”

Jude’s shirt fell open and Zero touched the tips of his fingers to Jude’s stomach, slid them up to brush teasingly across his nipples, and then slipped the material off his shoulders and down his arms. “Tonight, I wanna take you apart.”

Jude shivered, but not from being cold. “What about you?” he said, plucking at Zero’s shirt as Zero’s nimble fingers made short work of the buckle, then slowly slipped the belt out of the loops.

“In due time,” Zero said.

Jude wanted to roll his eyes, or say something smart, but Zero’s knuckles brushed the front of his slacks when he unbuttoned and unzipped them, and the words dried up in Jude’s mouth. Somehow time sped up around him and Jude found himself naked and lying spread across the bed, the comforter cool against his back, and surprisingly soft.

Zero had one knee on the bed, the hand he’d lowered Jude with at his shoulder, the other braced on the mattress beside his hip. Zero brushed his hand down Jude’s chest, over his stomach, across his hip, with the lightest of touches. He withdrew his hand and pushed off the mattress, and Jude couldn’t contain the soft moan of protest.

Zero unbuttoned his own cuffs, then the buttons down the front of his shirt. He let the shirt slither off his skin like a silk snake, not catching it when it fell to pool around his feet on the floor. Jude shifted on the bed, the friction of his bare skin against the comforter no more than a teasing glimpse of what he really needed. He watched hungrily as Zero’s fingers dropped to his own waistband.

“You know,” Zero said conversationally as his fingers worked. “One thing I told Jelena was true. I’m not done with you yet. I don’t think I ever will be.”

Jude’s chest ached with how much he wanted that to be true.

~

The plane landed back in LA in the early hours of Saturday morning. The limo Lionel hired got them back to the arena before the bus that would drop off the players. Jude waited beside the Porsche, watched Zero say his goodbyes to some of the players he’d . . . befriended wasn’t really the word; cultivated, maybe . . . and then caught his eyes when he started towards the car.

Jude didn’t move from where he leaned against the driver’s side door. When Zero reached him, he placed one hand against the roof and blocked Jude in with his body. With some people, the move might have felt claustrophobic, but Jude wanted Zero even closer. It took all the willpower he could muster at this late hour to not release his hands from his pockets, to not let them reach out and pull Zero closer.

“Need a ride?” Jude said.

Zero smiled. It was tired, and it barely reached his eyes, but it was real. “You mean in the car, right?”

Jude fought to hide the reaction as his mind went exactly where Zero’d meant it to. Zero’s smirk came easier to his face. “You’re offering me a ride in my own car?”

Jude shrugged. “I’ve got the keys.” He jangled them in his pocket. “Possession being nine-tenths of the law, and all.”

“Yes, you do,” Zero said enigmatically. He put his bags in the car, not commenting when he saw Jude’s were already there. He walked around to the passenger side.

Jude stared after him. “Aren’t you going to drive?”

“You’ve got the keys,” Zero said, and then he slid into the car, leaving Jude with his mouth open.

“I was kidding about the . . . ,” Jude said as he slipped behind the wheel.

Zero’s head was against the back of the seat, his eyes already closed. He waved his hand, as if to brush away Jude’s concerns. He opened his eyes a slit. “I trust you.”

Jude’s breath caught and his heart skipped. Zero didn’t notice his reaction because his eyes were closed again.

“I’ll try not to let you down,” Jude said, turning the key in the ignition, though his attempt at keeping his voice light wasn’t entirely successful.

Zero dropped a hand on Jude’s knee and gave it a little pat. “You won’t.” Zero was asleep before Jude pulled out of the parking lot, but his hand remained on Jude’s knee.

~

They dropped their bags in the bedroom and fell into bed as soon as they’d divested themselves of their clothes. Jude’s tie had managed to somehow remain a loose noose around his neck, and Zero had one sock hanging precariously off a foot when Jude woke the next morning.

Jude started the coffee and took a shower. He was studying the meager offerings inside the refrigerator, wearing just the towel around his waist, when Zero stumbled into the kitchen. His eyes were still half closed as he groped for the coffee mug on the counter. Jude watched the grimace form and his eyes open more fully when Zero realized he’d picked up Jude’s mug instead of his own. Zero switched mugs and sipped at the coffee, watching Jude’s perusal of the fridge.

“If you think standing in front of the open refrigerator is going to make you any less hot, you’re mistaken,” Zero said.

Jude grinned and blushed, because Zero just _said_ things like that and they caught him off guard. “There’s nothing to eat,” he said, trying to take the attention off himself.

Zero raised an eyebrow. “Shocking.”

Looking more alert, Zero set down the mug and crossed the small kitchen to Jude. Jude closed the refrigerator door and tried to prepare himself for whatever Zero might do. (He was rarely successful.)

Zero gave Jude a sweet morning kiss that tasted like coffee. “I need to take a shower.” Zero kissed Jude again, and began steering him out of the kitchen.

“I’ve already taken a shower,” Jude protested when Zero released his mouth.

Zero silenced the protest with another kiss, and Jude forgot why he’d been protesting at all by the time they reached the bathroom.

~*~

They dropped off a bag of joint dry cleaning, stopped at a local café for lunch, and then Zero took Jude to the arena where he gave him a long kiss goodbye before heading home to get ready for tonight.

Jude stopped by the Playground and met with Raquel. There were a few last minute items she needed his help with, but otherwise things were moving smoothly. Jude went down to his office to catch up on work he hadn’t been able to do from the road, and to kill time before the charity auction.

Jude didn’t look up until Zero appeared with a bag of takeout. Jude’s mouth watered, and it wasn’t the scent of Indian food. “You look . . . amazing,” Jude said, settling on the word, even though it didn’t quite convey the depth of just how good Zero looked.

Zero smiled. A real one, almost shy, no sign of a smirk or one of his fake smiles. He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “I brought you food.” He held up the bag. “Figured you’d forget to eat.”

“I did,” Jude said, as he rose and stepped around the desk. Though it was less that he forgot and more that he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep anything down due to nerves. “You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate that you did.”

When Zero tried to shrug it off as nothing, Jude kissed him. When he drew back, he said, “Thank you.”

Zero gave him a look that said he knew exactly what Jude was doing, but just said, “You’re welcome.”

They sat in the chairs in front of Jude’s desk. Jude guided Zero to the one Jelena had been sitting in the day she ambushed him in his own office. “I need to stop thinking about Jelena when I look at this chair,” he explained.

Zero sat and pulled Jude down with him despite Jude’s protests. Zero kissed him, and Jude forgot where they were. When Zero released him, he said, “I hope you don’t think of Jelena when you look at this chair now.”

Jude hmm’d as if he he was thinking. “Probably not.” He laughed and fell off Zero’s lap when he squirmed to get away from the fingers tickling him.

~

Jude tried not to think about the upcoming night, but the closer the time came, the more nervous he got. They went up to the Playground so Jude could do a final check before the guests started arriving. He left Zero at the bar in conversation with Raquel while he went back down to his office to change into the suit he’d bought especially for this night.

Jude took his time dressing, in part because nerves made his fingers fumble the buttons, and it took four tries to get the tie knotted to his satisfaction. Instead of calling the elevator, he took the stairs, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

When he arrived outside the Playground, there were a few people entering ahead of him. Inside, the club was only about a third full, but it was early yet. Jude’s eyes found Zero, but before he could reach him, Lionel caught him and he was forced to make small talk with people who were apparently important, but whose names he couldn’t remember even moments after meeting them.

Jude was grateful when he was finally released from duty long enough to find Zero again in the crowd, which had grown since his arrival. Zero saw him coming, almost as if he’d followed Jude’s progress through the room with Lionel, and Jude felt warm under the intensity of his gaze. When he reached the bar Zero casually leaned against, he took the bottle from Zero’s hand and drained the beer, which had sat so long it had gone warm. He grimaced as he set the bottle on the bar and gestured for another.

Zero’s gaze moved down Jude’s body, and if Jude thought placing the fresh beer in Zero’s hand would distract him, he was sorely mistaken. “You look really nice,” Zero said. He raised the bottle to his lips. “It’s almost a shame I’m gonna peel you out of that suit later.” He took a drink, watching Jude’s reaction over the bottle.

“Maybe I’ll be peeling you out of your suit,” Jude said, trying to keep his composure.

“Win-win,” Zero said, grinning around the mouth of the bottle as he took another drink.

People approached Zero. He put his hand on Jude’s lower back and drew him into every conversation. Some of Jude’s nerves abated, mainly because the only thing he could think about was Zero’s hand on his back, and the way he introduced Jude to everyone as if Jude was important to him. Because, Jude corrected. Because he was important to him.

Lionel had sprung for an open bar, so h’ordeuvres were devoured and alcohol flowed freely. Some people took to the small cleared area in front of the make-shift stage and danced. Many congregated into groups and made deals over canapes and whiskey sours.

The auction was scheduled for late. Lionel wanted everyone’s wallets loosened by alcohol before it began. When Lionel took the stage to announce the start of the auction, and to thank both Raquel and Jude for making it come together, Jude’s stomach began to churn.

Raquel graciously accepted the microphone from Lionel and called the bachelors and bachelorettes forward. The pressure on Jude’s back increased for just a moment before Zero slid his hand off and walked to the cleared area with the other men and women who’d agreed to be bid upon to raise money for charity.

Jude waited until the first name was called up onto the stage to leave his spot to go collect the paddle he’d arranged for earlier. He noticed the white knuckled grip he had on it, and loosened his jacket so he could shove the paddle into the waistband of his slacks where Zero’s hand had been.

Jude gratefully took the drink Lionel handed him when she found him. “Nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?” Jude said, taking a desperate sip.

It wasn’t as if anyone there besides Lionel and Zero knew that there’d been a hiccup in their relationship and that tonight was sort of a statement. And it wasn’t as if he hadn’t already made the, admittedly unspoken, choice to stay with Zero despite the reservations Jude had about himself. Tonight Jude was taking a leap of faith, and it had nothing to do with trusting Zero, but trusting in himself.

Jude’s palms went damp when Zero’s name was called. Lionel clapping beside him was the only reason Jude made his own hands do the same. The bidding started at one hundred dollars and was raised in increments of one hundred. It was at four hundred when Jude fumbled the paddle out of the back of his pants and held it up.

“Five hundred!” the auctioneer said, pointing at Jude, and then kept going.

Zero gave Jude a mocking look that he thought covered relief to finally have Jude in the bidding, as if he’d been uncertain up until that moment whether Jude would actually bid on him. Jude let the bidding rise, raising his paddle at one thousand, and then again at fifteen hundred. When it reached two thousand he raised his paddle and called, “Twenty-five hundred!”

Zero raised his eyebrows at Jude, but otherwise made no indication of noticing who was bidding on him. At thirty-five hundred, Jude bid five thousand. There was a moment of silence before someone had the nerve to bid five thousand one hundred. Eyes on Zero, Jude raised his paddle and called, “Ten thousand.”

Zero looked stunned. This time the silence was broken by someone yelling, “Let the boy have him if he wants him that badly!”

Jude blushed, but he thought he recognized the voice as belong to Glenn Lawson, and he wondered if Zero had planted her in the crowd.

The gavel came down, and the auctioneer called out, “Zero goes to number 31, Jude Kinkade!”

“Go claim your prize, sweetie,” Lionel said, giving Jude a shove forward.

Jude felt everyone’s eyes on him as the crowd parted to allow him to reach the front of the room. Zero stayed where he was and made Jude walk to the center of the stage. Instead of offering his arm to Jude, as previous bachelors had done, Zero reached out and pulled Jude into a hug.

Zero leant his forehead against Jude’s, and spoke softly. “Ten thousand?”

“Worth every penny,” Jude said, meaning it.

Zero smiled and said, “God, I love you.”

Jude froze in surprise. Seeing it, Zero laughed. “I love you, stupid.”

Jude’s lips stretched into the biggest grin. “I love you, too.”

Zero squeezed Jude, and kissed him. Jude didn’t know if it was the kiss, or whether Zero’s hug actually lifted him, but it felt as if his feet left the ground. Like he was flying. But he wasn’t worried. This time he knew there was someone there to catch him.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:
> 
> 1\. While I’ve watched the Jude/Zero bits at least four times, I have yet to get my hands on the eps so I can watch the entirety of season 2 (or 3). If I’ve guessed wrong at something they’ve made clear in an ep, I hope you will forgive my ignorance and pretend that I changed it because this is an AU. o_O
> 
> 2\. I know so little about professional basketball it isn’t funny. So I’ve treated the running of a professional basketball organization much like soap operas treat the legal system: I’m using what I can find out via google and making the rest of this shit up. I’m using the information in [this article](http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nba-exec-commish-order-sterling-turn-control-clippers-wife-article-1.1772790) as the basis for my ‘league forcing a sale’ facts.
> 
> 3\. Google was very little help in telling me what Jude’s actual job description would be within a basketball organization (even though we saw him help Lionel with Derek’s contract on the show), so I used the general ‘makes sure a business operates smoothly’ definition, which worked well for this fic.


End file.
